It's All Elementary
by iamdragonrider
Summary: There's a Goa'uld using a local elementary school as a front to harvest slaves from among the best and brightest. SG-1 takes an unexpected approach in order to go undercover and neutralize the threat. Final chapters now posting!
1. A New Mission

Summary: There's a Goa'uld using a local elementary school as a front to harvest slaves from among the best and brightest. SG-1 takes an unexpected approach in order to go undercover and neutralize the threat.  
Category: General/Action/Adventure and of course, some humor, angst, H/C, and other good stuff…  
Season: Seven, minor spoilers for many episodes. Takes place approx. 9 months after the events in Growing Pains, but I'm not calling it a Sequel, this story fully stands alone.  
Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: Minor language, possible violence  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

_A/N: This story is an idea I've been kicking around since writing Growing Pains. Anything you need to know will be explained in this story. It is not necessary to read (or reread) GP before reading this story. (Unless you want to.) You only need to know that in GP, SG-1 found a machine that transformed 3/4ths of SG-1 into children, leaving them in the nominal care of Jack for approximately three months._

_A great big THANK YOU to Nyx Ro (The Continuity Geek from Hezmana) and Janissima, for their beta reading and numerous suggestions for improvement. Thank you ladies!_

_I hope that this story will have enough team relationship for all who read it. I know I've tried for team in the past, but usually ended up focused on one character, but I feel like this story is different. Additionally, both betas, one being a Sam fan with an S/J slant, and the other a Daniel fan with a love for S/D and Jack/Daniel friendship have both found things to enjoy and surprisingly, compliment on! So here goes, I hope you enjoy it, and please take the time to click that little submit review box once in a while! _

It's All Elementary by iamdragonrider

_Chapter 1: A New Mission_

"So, what do you think the General called us here for?" wondered Dr. Daniel Jackson. The tall, light brown haired man didn't turn away from where he stood, his arms crossed as he peered through the large window down into the gate room. SG-3 was just departing, and General Hammond was no doubt in the control room seeing them off.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, his short, salt and pepper hair sticking up in places, flopped gracelessly into one of the large, padded leather chairs surrounding the polished wood table in the center of the briefing room. His chair was sent spinning, and the man stopped the motion with practiced ease. "Ten bucks says it's a diplomatic mission. First contact on some backwater place where the natives think the MALP is the 'messenger of the gods.'" The comment was made with a hint of sarcasm and Jack forming loose quote brackets with his fingers as he said the last few words. A slight grimace betrayed his distaste for the sort of mission that was all too common for SG-1.

"I believe we will be asked to procure intelligence on a possible location for the lost Ancient city," countered Teal'c with his usual confidence. The large, dark man sat passively across the table from SG-1's leader, his hands folded on the table.

Seated next to him, Major Samantha Carter shook her head and smiled briefly in encouragement. "It's got to be scientific. We must have picked up something interesting on one of the recent planetary surveys." Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

Jack rolled his eyes, but replied, with a quirk of his mouth, "As long as it's a space gun."

Sam looked down at the table to hide her amused grin. Teal'c directed a comment toward their companion still standing at the window. The flash of warning lights reflected off the window and the younger man's glasses as the stargate was dialed below. "What is your theory on our next mission, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel looked slightly amused, as he glanced back over his shoulder at his teammates. Even though he'd started the debate, he'd seemed more engrossed in the departing team below than in the speculations he'd inspired. He shrugged, turning back to watch the gate room, the watery reflections on the walls now telling the rest of SG-1 that the wormhole was open. "Oh, you know I almost never win," he demurred.

"Ah!" Jack scolded, "You started it," he accused. Daniel frowned, returning his attention to the rest of the team as the wormhole closed and the warning lights turned off.

"C'mon Daniel, you don't do all that badly you know," Sam informed him with a cajoling grin. Teal'c inclined his head in agreement.

A small, answering smile graced the young man's lips. With a last look at the window, he wandered towards the table and uncrossed one hand to push up his glasses. "Fine, Earth based mission, something covert," he suggested, shoving hands in his pockets.

"Oooo, good one Daniel," Jack looked like he wished he'd thought of it first.

"Dr. Jackson is indeed correct," came the voice of General Hammond as he entered the room, the portly, balding gentleman carrying a stack of thick file folders. He gave a wave of one hand to abort the rest of the team from rising as he set down the folders and took a seat. Daniel hid his amused satisfaction in taking his own chair, pretending to ignore the groan from Jack while returning Sam's look of graceful defeat and Teal'c's nod.

"Cheater," Jack leaned towards the man and hissed as everyone settled.

Daniel looked affronted. "Did not," he protested, whispering back. Sam ducked her head and Teal'c looked amused as Jack opened his mouth to respond.

General Hammond intervened first.

"Ahem," he coughed. SG-1 collectively sat a little taller, giving the General their undivided attention. "You are no doubt wondering why I've gathered you all here," he asked them as a group, and they all nodded. Their next mission wasn't scheduled for two more days. "I am canceling SG-1's mission to P5X-475."

Jack and Daniel straightened in surprise. Teal'c cocked his head. "Sir?" Sam questioned, her forehead slightly wrinkled.

The General continued like he hadn't noticed, instead, drumming fingers on the folders he had yet to hand out. "In fact, I'm taking SG-1 out of the off-world rotation as of this moment."

Sam gasped, the sound echoed by Daniel. Even Teal'c' looked startled. "General?" Jack asked, a deep frown marring his features. "Did we do something, or am I just not getting my memos?"

At that, Hammond looked up and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No, Colonel, nothing like that." He looked back at the stack of folders, then picked them up and passed them out. "I have another mission for SG-1. As some of you have already guessed, it's a little closer to home."

"That's more like it," Jack grinned, as he took his own folder, moving to open it. The rest started to do the same.

"Before you open those," Hammond interrupted them, pausing until he had their eyes again, "I need to tell you a few things." He looked around the table, exchanging looks with each member of his premier team. "There are certain parts of this mission that will be strictly voluntary."

"Voluntary, sir?" Jack asked. "What sort of mission is this?"

In reply, Hammond picked up a remote, dimming the lights and bringing up a logo on the screen. "Are any of you familiar with Providence Day School?"

"Isn't that the school whose founders have established new teaching methods that stress independent study and individual attention?" Daniel supplied, studying the logo on the screen.

"For a price," muttered Sam. She'd heard of the school too. They were private, and while the price for the yearly tuition wasn't astronomical, it did limit the population attending to some extent, especially if they intended to send their child there for the full thirteen years of schooling offered there.

"So what," wondered Jack, "they really building up an army or something?" Teal'c turned to watch the General.

Hammond couldn't hide the brief twitch of his lips. "Not quite Colonel." He pressed another button on the remote. The picture changed, this time showing a body in a morgue.

A soft gasp, and the soft shuffling of clothing could be heard, as SG-1 shifted in surprise. Not at the body on the screen, no, none of them were strangers to death. They were surprised at the cause of death.

Teal'c recovered his voice first. "This man has been killed by a staff weapon."

"Who was he?" Daniel asked, brows creased as if he could discern the man's name just by studying the picture.

"Joseph Collins. He was an instructor at Providence Day School. At least until last week. His body was found in a nearby park. A couple, out for a late night stroll, went to investigate strange noises. When they came upon the scene, they saw two men fleeing, one of them carrying a large stick or staff." He turned off the screen bringing up the lights again, and SG-1 swiveled to face him. "Our contact with the local authorities picked up on the case. The President and Joint Chiefs have ordered the SGC, particularly SG-1 to investigate" Hammond looked down at the table, tapping his fingers thoughtfully, before he looked back up at them. "And that's not all, people. Mr. Collins is not the first person to disappear from that school. Since they opened their doors in 1991, eight teachers and twenty-four students have disappeared." He inclined his head towards them, signaling that the discussion was now open.

"What?!" demanded Jack in outrage, "Kids getting murdered? Why hasn't this place been shut down before now?"

Daniel held up a hand. "Whoa, wait, Jack," he shook his head. "General Hammond said they disappeared, not that they were murdered." He looked up at the General. "I assume that few, if any, of these cases were deemed 'suspicious'?"

"Yes, Dr. Jackson. In fact, twelve of the twenty-four children were declared as runaways. Four were ruled as suicide. The rest were suspected having been taken by estranged parents, most of those also missing. The same is more or less true for the missing staff. Few bodies, and no evidence of foul play in any of the cases. Most of the time there were notes or other explanations. Our contact only discovered most of the cases when he began to search the missing persons lists, and recognized a connection with the school."

Jack lifted a hand and formed his fingers into a gun, sighting it along the table. He mimed firing. "Three shots with a Zat, no bodies, no evidence," he grumbled, his features set in a hard mask.

Teal'c nodded in agreement, and then added, "Many may have been taken aboard a ship or removed in another fashion."

"What exactly are we looking for, General?" asked Sam, tapping her pen on her note pad.

Beating the General to a reply, Jack answered her. "Where Jaffa are Carter, their God is not far behind."

Sam dipped her chin, conceding the point. She turned back to face the General. "Any idea who we are trying to find, sir?"

The General shook his head in regret. "No, Major," Hammond admitted, "But, we haven't had very long to investigate, this Goa'uld, whoever he is, has been very secretive."

"Seshat," blurted Daniel suddenly, staring at the blank screen where the images had been displayed. He waved a hand slightly, not turning around. "General, can you put the logo back up?" he requested. General Hammond complied. Even though he didn't lower the lights, the seven-point star on top of what might have been a staff showing on the screen with a crescent moon covering it like an umbrella was clear to all.

"Daniel?" asked Jack. All eyes turned to the young archeologist.

Daniel just motioned towards the screen. "That's her, that's her symbol. I'm sure of it. Even with allowances for variations over the centuries, it's too similar to be coincidence. Besides, it all fits; Seshat was considered the Goddess of writing, mathematics, architecture… She was also said to be the wife and daughter of Thoth, God of Wisdom. Having her behind a school just makes sense."

"Wife and daughter? Now that's creepy." Jack shook his head, and continued. "Well, now we have the man, er, woman, we just need the plan," Jack stated dryly. He turned in his chair, and gave Hammond a significant look. "General?" he invited leadingly.

His lips upturned briefly in a tight smile, Hammond nodded. "SG-1 will be going in under cover at Providence Day School. In the folders, you will find details about your cover story. Now this is the voluntary part." Again, the General waited until he had their undivided attention. "Do you remember P35-437?" he asked.

Jack looked surprised. "How could we forget sir?" That was the planet was where all of SG-1 except Jack had been turned into children.

"What's P35-437 got to do with us going under cover here on Earth?" Daniel asked, puzzled.

"We would like to use the device you found there to give one of you the appearance of a child." He gave them a moment to let the idea sink in. "Children are universally ignored as unimportant by adults, the perfect cover. No one will suspect it. Children are also what this Goa'uld is after."

Rubbing his forehead, Jack looked thoughtful. "Bait and tackle," he mused quietly. He shared a considering look with Teal'c across the table.

"Sir? Didn't that machine take away our memories as well?" Sam asked, turning to the General.

Hammond nodded. "The science teams have studied the data you brought back on the device, and they feel they have unlocked the secrets to successfully control it. According to our team, the device was built to revert the user to the age requested, either with or without memory blocks, and later restore them back to their proper age. They are confident they can replicate the device's intended purpose."

Sam blinked, moving her head in disbelief. "Why, that's amazing. I mean the practical and scientific applications of such a device…"

Waving his hand, Jack interrupted. "While I'm sure all that is wonderful, that's not why you brought it up General." He paused, and took a deep breath. "I'll do it."

"Jack!" Daniel protested.

Hammond made a calming motion. "That may not be necessary, Colonel. We, that is the Joint Chiefs and I, have someone else in mind. Major Carter." Jack looked ready to protest, Teal'c sat up straight, his gaze speculative. Sam, after a brief look of surprise at the general, stared down at the unopened folder, clearly thinking hard.

"Why Sam?" demanded Daniel before Jack could talk. "Um, no offense Sam," he amended hastily.

Pressing his fingertips together in front of him to form a loose point, Hammond looked around the table. "Major Carter has one thing you don't Colonel, and that's her ability to detect the presence of a Goa'uld symbiote. While Teal'c can do the same, he is also less familiar with Earth culture, especially the expectations of childhood, making Major Carter, in our minds, the best choice," he told them.

"If I remember correctly, they can also sense her," Jack pointed out, frowning at the one obvious flaw.

"Not anymore, sir," Sam spoke up. At Jack's surprised look, she looked at Hammond, and the older man nodded his permission. Turning to face Jack in her chair, Sam explained. "Janet and I have been working on a compound that when injected, binds with the naquadah in my blood, making me undetectable, but I'm still able to sense when there is another symbiote around. Well at least it's worked so far with Teal'c," she granted.

"But, uh, Teal'c doesn't have a symbiote," Daniel brought up.

Sam winced, "We can still sense each other when we are near," she said, fiddling with her pen. "We've been able to experiment with at least those sensations. Practical tests are a little hard to plan out after all. It also wears off in a few days, the injections have to be taken regularly," she admitted.

"Sounds risky to me," Jack grunted, shuffling his papers around.

She straightened, looking him in the eye, suddenly coming to a decision. "I'm willing to take that risk."

"Well what if I'm not?" challenged Jack, setting his pad down harder than he'd intended.

General Hammond intervened. "I'm afraid that I and the Joint Chiefs agree with Major Carter. Her ability to sense the presence of a blended Goa'uld, and identify his, or her, Jaffa, is too valuable to waste. It will allow our strike force to take her out with pinpoint accuracy. This is a school we are talking about people, and I want minimal collateral damage. I do not need to remind you that even one civilian's death, especially a child's, is one too many. We need to find this Seshat, whoever she is, and remove her as quickly as possible. Do I make myself clear?"

At the reminder of children, Jack subsided. The team flipped open folders, as if to hide discomfort.

The only one not opening his folder was Daniel, and he raised a hand tentatively before speaking up. "Um, I understand about the naquadah thing, but wouldn't it be better to keep Sam as an adult, where she could better protect herself, General, sir?" he questioned.

"That is a very good point Dr. Jackson. I can only re-iterate that we think disguising Major Carter as a child will be the perfect cover for her. No one will suspect a child, and we think that lack of suspicion will further work to protect her from detection. Additionally, no one except myself, Dr. Lee's team, and you all know that the device on P35-437 is now fully operational and most especially that it can restore a person with their memories intact." He looked around the table, briefly locking gazes with each of them, before he continued.

"I will also stress that Major Carter will not be going in alone. Through our contact with the local authorities, we've located someone on the inside willing to help us. They have made it possible for the rest of you to enter the school under assumed roles and identities. We have taken the available openings and given each of you cover stories." Hammond faced Daniel directly. "You, Dr. Jackson, will be taking over for early French immersion studies. This will give you contact with students as well as staff."

"You want me to teach?" Daniel asked in surprise, looking somewhat taken aback.

"I have full confidence in your abilities, Dr. Jackson. You will be following the schools pre-approved lesson plans and curriculum. You'll be acting as a resource teacher, so you won't be responsible for your own class. I'm sure you'll do fine," Hammond assured the man.

After receiving a hesitant and preoccupied nod from Daniel, the General's gaze moved down the table. "Teal'c, you will be the school's new janitor. Your position will give you the ability to move freely about the building and it's grounds at any time of day." Teal'c nodded, pleased with the solution.

"And you, Colonel," Hammond started, looking to the last member of SG-1 to be assigned a cover.

"Ah, General, couldn't I be like the new gym teacher or something?" Jack interrupted, tracing designs on the open folder in front of him.

The General shook his head. "You know Major Carter will need a guardian, Colonel, if she's to be believable."

"Not to mention if we want to avoid the authorities," Daniel suggested, as he suddenly realized one of the major drawbacks of the plan, hiding amusement at Jack's discomfort in the solution.

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.

"Yes, but me?" evaded Jack. "You know I look no where near old enough to be Carter's dad. What about you General? You look old en… eh I mean not that you look old, I mean, well you do…. Well, of course, she'll look much younger than she does now… eh, not that she looks old…." Jack winced as he kept digging himself deeper, pinching the bridge of his nose as he trailed off under the General's keen, knowing look. "What about Uncle?" he tried. "I could do Uncle. Maybe."

Looking up from her intense study of the contents of her folder, Sam neatly changed the subject. From her face it was clear she'd been paying only partial attention since the General's announcement. "Exactly how old were you planning to make me, sir?" She flinched slightly, as if only just realizing the meaning of her words.

"Dr. Lee assures me that he and his team can revert your age to around age eleven or twelve," he told her, honestly, meeting her gaze. "Any older than that, and we think it will be harder for you to remain in positions where you can overhear conversations."

"Around?" picked up Jack instantly.

Hammond's eyes darted back to Jack. "He's quite sure, Colonel."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "How sure?"

"I'm sure Dr. Lee can provide you with the exact figures, Colonel," Hammond told him in a way that signaled debate on the subject was finished. "Are there any further questions?" He looked around the table. "You have until next week to learn your new identities and cover stories. Tomorrow, you will head to P35-437. Dismissed."

As the team stood to go, Hammond laid a hand on Sam's arm. "Major," he said, searching her face, "if you change your mind and decide not to go through with this…"

"I won't," she broke in, lifting her chin in determination under his piercing look.

Hammond squeezed her arm, a soft smile breaking across his features. "I know, but it needed to be said Sam."

"Thank you, sir," she told him, gazing warmly into his face. He let go, and Sam gathered her things and followed the rest of her team out of the briefing room.


	2. A Short Mission

_Chapter 2: A Short Mission_

The day so far on P35-437 had greeted them with mild temperatures, blue skies, and a gentle breeze. Despite the extra numbers from the science and medical teams joining them, SG-1 made excellent time up the hillside to the large temple-like building that housed the device that had been the cause for several memorable months, at least on Jack's part. The rest of SG-1 had yet to recall any more than fragments and dreams of the months they had spent after being turned back into children.

As glad as he was to have everything back to normal, Jack couldn't help but admit to himself, and only himself, that those few months had been some of the happiest of his life. He counted himself lucky to have experienced them.

All the same, he approached the temple with a certain amount of trepidation. "Are you sure that thing is off?" he asked warily, before he and Teal'c stepped foot inside the building for a quick sweep.

Carter, so much more at ease than Dr. Lee with going off world, had a scanner powered up before Lee even managed to pull his eyes away from the scenery. "It's dormant, sir, energy levels are minimal," she announced.

"Minimal? So it's not off?" he asked, still waiting to give Teal'c the all clear to go ahead and enter the building.

"I don't think it ever fully powers down, sir. My guess is it enters some sort of stand-by mode," she looked up, and must of noted his concern because she hastily added, "It's perfectly safe, sir. From our experiences, and Dr. Lee's report, the device only becomes active when the right command is entered."

Jack frowned, suddenly reminded of just how the device had become active last time. Preoccupied with his introspection, Jack almost missed something else the woman had said. "Carter," he said, a hint of exasperation creeping into his tone, "Tell me you didn't spend all night up with that report?"

Her guilty start told him all he needed to know. Further, her quick glance at Daniel and Dr. Lee told him she'd likely not been alone. He should have known better than to have left base last night. He sighed, and motioned for Teal'c to go in first. Teal'c soon signaled that the room was clear. Jack gave the room his own quick once over, barely suppressing a shudder of what the place recalled, then gave the all clear for the scientists to come in.

The room soon bustled as Dr. Lee's team set up the equipment they'd brought, and technical discussions flew across the room and over the radio to the people setting up outside near what had been dubbed the "control room." Carter was in her element, her eyes bright, and posture alert. She flitted from computer to monitor with an ease that was almost frightening. Across the room, Teal'c stood watch, able to keep one eye on the scientists and the other out the nearby window, alert to any possible threat that might approach from a distance. Jack was starting to feel a little useless, and kept getting in someone's way not matter where he stood. Spotting a possible ally, Jack gravitated around the outskirts of the room, careful not to trip on any wires or knock anything over that looked expensive.

"Daniel," he greeted, having reached the man. The archeologist stood in the corner, out of the way, his hands in his pockets. His jacket and vest hung open while he studied the scientists bustling around the room.

Turning to peer at his friend, Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned back to watch the activity. "Jack," he returned, and then added after a short pause, "Feeling redundant, aren't you?"

Jack sighed. He'd hoped he wasn't being that obvious, but of course the younger man would have seen right through him. "Might be better if I stay out of the way, you know me and anything fragile," he said, waving in the direction of something mounted on a tripod with cables running to a laptop. It looked both complicated and costly.

Daniel snorted, one corner of his mouth twitching, but didn't say anything.

The two men watched side by side silently for several minutes. Finally, Jack had to voice the thing that if he were honest with himself, had brought him over here. "You think they…" he paused, wetting his lips, then tried again. "You think Dr. Lee knows what he's doing?" Well, it wasn't exactly what he'd meant to say, but then again, if it had been Carter's report he'd have no doubt that the machine would do exactly what she said it would. Dr. Lee though… He looked down, fiddling with the strap holding his P-90 to his vest. When he looked up, he found Daniel studying him, his blue eyes seeming to look deep into his soul.

"He's a good man Jack," Daniel told him. "Besides, Sam is here, isn't she?" he pointed out.

It didn't quite silence all his demons, but Jack knew the other man was right. Carter at least trusted Dr. Lee enough to accept the mission. Of course, Jack knew there were also greater things at stake, no doubt influencing her decision, but still…

"I know," he answered.

Daniel nodded, extracting one hand to point across them room. "I'm gonna go check on Teal'c. Meet you outside? They'll be starting soon I think," he noted, taking in the decreased activity in the room.

Jack nodded, and waved a hand as if to indicate dismissal. Daniel walked away, but Jack was busy watching a certain blond astrophysicist. The woman in question currently had her head together with Dr. Lee, and looked as if she was just there to observe something fascinating, not about to have twenty-five years, give or take, taken off her appearance. He shook his head, wondering not for the first time how he'd let them all get talked into this thing, but even as he thought it, his mind supplied the answer.

Because they were SG-1.

Daniel's observation soon proved out, and before long, SG-1 were the only ones left inside. Jack watched as Teal'c and Daniel approached Carter. Teal'c said something that caused her to smile and duck her head, and Daniel added a comment that made her laugh outright and punch him lightly on the arm. The young man held up his arms in front of him as if warding off a blow, only stopping when a smile bloomed across Carter's face. Jack gave them a few more moments, and then wandered over to join them, his thoughts still heavy with the weight of responsibility.

"We ready?" he asked, not being able to say what he really wanted to say.

"Yes, sir," Carter told him, instantly all professional, but then a sidelong glance at Daniel made her snort, which she unbelievably turned into a cough.

Jack chose to ignore it; glad at least that the rest of the team was able to act so freely, but that was the choice he'd made, the burden he'd chosen to bear alone. "We shall wait for you outside, O'Neill," Teal'c said as if sensing Jack's mood, turning to go. Daniel followed after giving Sam an encouraging look.

"You ok to do this, Carter?" he asked softly when they were alone, watching her for some sign, any sign, that she wanted to scrub the mission, that she wasn't one hundred percent on board.

"I'm ready, sir," she told him confidently, her posture straightening somewhat under his searching look. Her jaw was set, hands holding her weapon with a sure grip, and Jack was struck for a moment at how far this woman had come in the years he'd known her. Hew determined she was, how confident.

How brave.

He hesitated, torn between his confidence in the Major, and his lack of it for the mission in general. The whole idea of making her look like a kid to get her close to some Goa'uld with an unknown objective still seemed a little half-cocked in his mind. Even so, on some deeper level, he agreed with General Hammond's assessment of the situation. He still didn't have to like it.

Nodding in acknowledgement he jerked a thumb in the direction of the door, wavering slightly and needing to say something. "I'll, uh, be outside," he told her finally, oddly at a loss for his usual words of wit and convoluted wisdom. "You should probably get comfortable," He patted his own automatic, and saw her nod in return.

"Yes, sir, thank you," she told him, understanding of the things he'd left unsaid clear on her face. Some of the weight left his shoulders. He nodded and headed toward the exit, stopping in the doorway when something behind him made him halt and turn back around.

She had settled on the floor, cross-legged, trying to follow his advice while she waited. Her weapon sat next to her, within easy reach, ever the good soldier. With one hand, she rubbed at the back of her neck, trying to ease some tightness she felt there.

"You ok?" he asked in concern.

Sam blinked, looking up at him in mild surprise, but then shrugged slightly and smiled ruefully. "Fine sir, just a little stiff, didn't sleep well last night," she admitted a little sheepishly.

"Too busy studying those reports?" he asked lightly, unable to resist.

She stopped rubbing and shook her head, smiling unrepentantly. Then she sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them, obviously not wanting to show how nervous she really was. Her posture was no less determined, and Jack knew it was a measure of her trust in his leadership that she allowed him to see even this slight weakness.

The Colonel remained where he stood, studying her thoughtfully, thinking of what to say that might help ease the pressure they were both feeling in their own ways. Finally, his inner demons seemed to come to some sort of agreement, or perhaps the Major's confidence was rubbing off on him with the reminder that she was still human, like him. He grinned, and bounced slightly, the realization filling him with a new lightness. "Don't worry Carter, when you wake up, you'll feel like a kid again."

His joke, however bad, had the desired effect. With a soft laugh, Sam smiled up at her CO. "Thank you, sir," she told him honestly, some of the tension lines around her eyes and mouth softening. As she relaxed, so did he.

He shrugged, feeling justly satisfied. "Don't mention it." He sobered slightly again. "I'll be right outside. We all will."

"I know," she replied softly, meeting his gaze. Jack nodded, and stepped out of the room, reluctantly leaving the woman alone.

Outside, he quickly joined the rest of his team, who were standing with Janet Fraiser. Dr. Lee approached them.

"Colonel O'Neill," he said, looking just a little too excited considering what was about to happen, "With your permission, we're ready to begin."

Jack exchanged looks with Teal'c, Daniel, and Janet. All three offered nods. The heavy weight of responsibility settled back on his shoulders. Yes, the General had chosen Major Carter. Yes, she had agreed to the mission in all its details, and he was sure now that she had no second thoughts. Yes, they had their orders. But when it all boiled down to it, he was the man on site. The final decision rested solely with him. Whatever happened, whatever the outcome, the results would happen because of his orders. But suddenly, Jack realized he wouldn't have it any other way.

SG-1 was his.

They were his life, his purpose. He belonged to SG-1 in a way he'd never belonged to anything before, and because of that, SG-1 belonged to him. Perhaps, one day, maybe soon, SG-1 and the heavy weight of responsibility he carried for them would belong to someone else, but for now, they were his.

Accepting the duty was like wrapping himself in an old familiar blanket. He was used to his function on this team, acknowledged it always, hated it sometimes, and most of all, never failed to treasure it. He straightened, self-assurance for the moment banishing everything else. "Do it," he told the man, with a jerk of his head towards the controls.

Dr. Lee bobbed his head a few times, and looked like he wanted to say something, then wisely chose not to. He scurried off to take his position with his science team.

"On my count," Jack heard the man say as he turned around to face the building, tuning out the almost palpable feelings of excitement around him. He felt Daniel and Teal'c join him to one side, both men equally intent on the structure where their teammate waited.

"Three…two…one…mark."

Barely discernable at first, then building in intensity, Jack felt a faint vibration from the ground through his boots. In front of them, the windows and doorways of the temple seemed to glow.

"Wow," breathed Daniel in wonder. Jack nodded in agreement and then the moment was abruptly shattered by a shrill scream, made even more poignant by the fact that the woman doing the screaming was trying unsuccessfully to suppress the sound.

Almost as soon as it started though, the scream was abruptly cut off. It took all of Jack's willpower to not to go charging up the hill. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teal'c lay a restraining hand on Daniel's arm. The younger man was pale, jaw clenched. Even Teal'c stood stiffly, every muscle tense and alert.

It seemed like forever before Dr. Lee gave them the all clear. The three men wasted no time in speeding towards the temple. As they got closer, all three men could smell something burning. Unexpected tendrils of smoke drifted out of the doorway. Jack was the first one through the door, just barely. He could hardly make out anything because the room was already clogged with thick black smoke. To the right, something electrical gave off a sharp fizzle and several pops. Jack reflexively shielded his face with his arms.

"We need to get Carter out of here!" he cried, waving a hand in front of his face in a vain effort to clear the air in front of him. With the other, he pulled his shirt up over his face, bending low. Teal'c was already moving toward the center of the room, also crouched low. Jack grabbed Daniel's arm. "Daniel," he ordered, coughing, "Keep everyone else out of here, we'll be right behind you." If Daniel nodded, Jack couldn't see it in the gloom, instead trusting the other man would follow his command. He turned on the light from his P-90 to give Teal'c something to catch his bearings, the light giving off a thin beam highlighting the smoke swirling in front of him. It was becoming increasingly difficult to draw breath, and he considered going in after the warrior, but decided he should wait in the doorway in case the thickening smoke caused Teal'c to get turned around. Fortunately, the large man didn't seem to be having any trouble navigating though, and Jack was able to make out his bulky shape heading back across the room after only a few moments of waiting.

"Teal'c" he cried, feeling relief wash over him as he saw the man was carrying something, something small and unmoving. "This way!" he directed, grabbing the man's arm.

Outside, the sun shined down on them with blinding intensity. "Over here," Dr. Fraiser directed, the petite redhead already having laid down a folding stretcher. Despite having traded her usual neat uniform and pristine lab coat for BDUs, Janet Fraiser was no less commanding than normal. Teal'c obeyed, kneeling swiftly to gently lay down his burden. Jack dropped to his own knees not far from Teal'c, as Janet quickly made an assessment, bending over her patient. "She's breathing!" she announced, and started to remove some of the Major's outer clothing.

Jack felt relief wash over him, and he gave into the coughing fit he'd been holding in. Finally spent, Jack drank from his canteen, letting some of the water trickle onto his hands so he could scrub at his face, when a gasp from Daniel brought him looking up sharply. He froze in dismay, the heaviness of responsibility slamming back into him with all the force of an unpulled gut punch.

As the layers of too large clothing were removed, their occupant was revealed. The body cocooned in the now huge garments was small. Too small.

"Oh. My. God," Daniel whispered. Teal'c was standing, looking down in appalled fascination at his suddenly reduced teammate.

"She doesn't look twelve, does she?" Jack asked unnecessarily, his voice more gruff than usual from hoarseness.

Daniel shook his head, eyes fixed on Carter. "No," he said.

"She does not," agreed Teal'c.

"That's what I was afraid of," groaned Jack.

_A/N: The first evil cliffie! I have to do something to get many of you folks to respond after all, even if it's just to tell me how evil I am!_


	3. A Little Complication

_Chapter 3: A Little Complication_

The three men of SG-1 stared at their female teammate in shock. Jack knew they had all expected to feel surprise, maybe even awe at the transformation she would undergo, but they hadn't been prepared for what they now saw. The little girl that Janet and her medics fussed over didn't look a day over six and that was a stretch.

Dr. Lee bustled up. "Colonel, I can explain, you see…"

The dumpy man's words cut off as suddenly all the emotions raging through Jack's mind found a focus. Grabbing the front of the shorter man's jacket, he pulled him up so that their faces were mere inches apart. "Tell me what?" he bit out, "How you screwed up?"

"Jack!" he heard Daniel cry in shock, but ignored it in favor of glaring into the scientist's eyes.

"Uh well, um, you see..." Dr. Lee stammered helplessly, "Ah, our preliminary results show that actually sir, it um, well you see, err…" Jack tightened his grip, and the man squeaked out the last. "The program executed according to plan!"

Jack started in surprise at the answer. "Put him down, Jack, c'mon," encouraged Daniel taking advantage of the lull, "You don't want to do this."

At that, Jack blinked as if coming out of a trance, and then hastily thrust the doctor away from him. He flung out an arm and pointed. "That," he said with some emphasis, "was not in the plan!"

Dr. Lee turned instinctively to follow Jack's arm and winced. Janet and her two medics still knelt over the woman turned little girl, but had given up any pretense of disinterest and were watching the unfolding drama. Sam still lay as if merely sleeping. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, hair tussled, and one small arm was flung out, tiny hand half curled. Jack was seized by an instant fear. What if Dr. Lee had miscalculated on more than just age? As if sensing his thoughts turning again, Daniel stepped in front of him, neatly placing himself between Jack and the scientist. Teal'c also took a step closer, but at the younger man's look of reproach, Jack felt all his anger draining out of him, as quickly as it had come.

He sighed. "Sorry Doc," he apologized, scrubbing his hand through his hair. "What happened? Why is she so small?" he asked, looking around Daniel to see the scientist. Recognizing the danger past, Daniel moved out of the way. For his part, Dr. Lee still looked slightly terrified as he ran a nervous hand over his smooth forehead, fingers dancing over his receding hairline. Janet and her team went back to what they were doing, and some of the tension bled out of Teal'c's stance.

"I-I don't know for sure Colonel," Lee admitted hesitantly, he took a step back as Jack moved, but Jack was only pacing now.

"Take a best guess," he suggested, trying to be patient with the other man. Unlike Carter, this scientist had never learned to come to a direct point when the situation called for it.

Dr. Lee blinked, then frowned. "Well, I uh, that is to say… there was definitely a power surge," he reported hesitantly, "It, em, shorted out most of our equipment and started the electrical fire." He paused, adjusting his glasses. "We lost a good bit of data, but I might still, uh be able to salvage something." He trailed off as a far-away look entered his eyes.

"Power surge?" Jack asked, recognizing the look and trying to keep the man on track. "What caused it? And what about the fire? Did the machine come to any harm?"

The redirect worked. The other man was pulled back to the here and now. Growing more confident when he wasn't being threatened, Bill shook his head. "I don't know yet, but I mean to find out. I do know that the program was executed exactly like we'd intended."

"So you think Sam will still have her memories?" spoke Daniel, pouncing on the one small hope.

The scientist's short-lived confidence petered out. "I, uh, well, I think so," he said, taking a big step back away from the rest of SG-1 as the men stared at him in disbelief.

"You think so," Jack asked slowly, as if testing out the words.

"We'll soon find out," Janet interrupted briskly. "She's coming round," she reported.

All other concerns aside, everyone crowded around the small figure on the ground. As if sensing their scrutiny, Sam groaned, her face scrunching up as she moved restlessly.

"Sam, can you wake up for me honey?" Janet encouraged, concern for her friend slipping in under her professional calm. At the doctor's words, Sam cracked first one eye, and then the other open, blinking rapidly in the bright sun. She took in all the faces above her, brow still creased.

"Hey, Carter," Jack greeted. Daniel and Teal'c added their own greetings.

"Wha?" she whispered a little hoarsely, almost disguising the rather higher pitch her voice now had.

"Can you tell me where you are Sam?" Janet asked, getting right down to the question on all their minds.

Sam blinked again, squinting as if confused, and for a moment, Jack's heart stopped beating. In the next, it started right back up as if nothing had been amiss. "P35-437," she answered confidently, swallowing and frowning. "Did it work?" Before anyone could answer, she was holding up a hand in front of her face, opening and closing her fingers in fascination. Yep, that was Carter all right. Beside him, Daniel was grinning, and Teal'c looked both relieved and amused. Even Janet was smiling.

Looking at her though, Jack sobered. "Uh, Carter," he hemmed, hating to break the bad news.

Tearing her eyes from the wonder before her, she locked onto his face. "Sir?" she asked, forehead slightly furrowed.

Jack flinched, wondering how to put it. "There was a, uh, little glitch," he said, and winced at his choice of words.

Struggling to sit up, Sam was oblivious to her t-shirt sliding and baring one shoulder. "Oh no," she said, as she realized things felt wrong from what she had expected.

"Oh yes," Jack replied, and Sam swung a desperate look to Daniel.

With a grimace, Daniel answered the unspoken question. "Sorry Sam, you're a little, um, well, smaller than we'd intended," he said helplessly.

"How old do I look?" she asked, hands going to her face in dismay.

The three men exchanged glances over her head. "Five maybe. Six?" offered Daniel tentatively. He made a face.

"I'd say not much over five," Janet stated definitively.

Sam groaned, burying her face in her hands. "The mission!" she exclaimed, lifting up her head to look at them. "It's ruined, I'll never pass for twelve like this!"

Jack searched for something to say, when Teal'c spoke up. "Did Providence Day School not have a class for children of this age?" he asked.

"A kindergarten?" Daniel supplied and Teal'c nodded.

"What? You think I can still complete the mission like…like this?" Sam asked, unable to hide the disbelief in her tone.

"Are you not still Major Carter, despite your appearance?" Teal'c suggested pointedly.

"Teal'c is right, Sam. Tell her, Jack," said Daniel immediately.

Thinking about it, Jack realized the two men were correct. "I don't see why not, Carter."

"But…" she trailed off, unable to find an effective argument to her teammates' certainty.

"We'll be right there with you Carter, every step of the way," Jack reminded her.

"As fascinating as all this is," Janet broke in, "I really think we need to get Major Carter back to base."

Jack stood up, offering Sam a hand. "Sounds like a plan to me," he said, and then looked down at the small figure now standing next to him, her head barely clearing his waist. She sure was a lot smaller! "Maybe you should change first, Major," he suggested. The black t-shirt fell well to her knees, and one skinny shoulder still poked out the neck hole.

At his words, Sam hugged her arms around herself self-consciously. "Yes sir," she replied automatically, despite the incongruity of those words coming out of the mouth of a child. She craned her head back suddenly in surprise, looking from him to Daniel, Teal'c, and Janet. "Wow," she said, "You guys are a lot taller."

Jack laughed as Carter unconsciously mirrored his thoughts, and the rest joined in. No one bothered to point out the inaccuracy of her observation.

As he walked away though, after one more look at his suddenly reduced second in command, Jack realized that Sam wasn't the only one that would have to get used to the change in perspective.

_A/N: See? Reviews really do make me post faster… Of course, I do hope that the eventual majority of responses isn't going to be about how evil I am… that might get depressing after a while!_


	4. New Perspectives

_Chapter 4: New Perspectives_

"I know they're too big, but they've got to fit a lot better than what you're wearing now," Janet told her, handing her the bundle of clothing they'd packed. The cargo pants and black t-shirt had belonged to an eleven year old Teal'c a few months ago. Since they'd expected her to be about the same age, the sizing had seemed appropriate. Now, they would be much too large, but as Janet had said, anything had to fit better than her current outfit. Everything but her t-shirt had slid off just about, and even that was in danger.

"Thanks," she told her friend, taking the clothing gratefully. Janet turned her back, giving her some semblance of privacy. Sam quickly shed the ill-fitting garments and donned the smaller set. She looked down at herself and laughed, making Janet turn back around. Impulsively, she spread her arms out wide. "Look at me Janet. I'm so small… and I'm swimming in this outfit!" she said, partly in amusement, and partly in wonder.

Janet cocked her head to one side, arms crossed and studying. "Swimming at least, not drowning like you were before," she decided after a moment of consideration. "Here, we better roll up your pants legs before you trip," she said, bending to do just that.

Surprised, Sam watched her friend as she got down on one knee in front of her, deftly rolling up her left pant leg. "Yes mom," she said with mock meekness as the woman finished the one and started on the other, her words making the doctor pause and look up. With Janet kneeling, their eyes were on almost the same level.

"Sorry Sam," Janet apologized, her cheeks warming slightly. "Habit I suppose." Impishly, she reached out and finished the second before standing up again. Sam found it an odd feeling to be looking up at her friend when standing. Janet looked down at her for a beat, wearing a half grin, and then suddenly crossed to the pile of gear, bent down, and grabbed something, tossing it at her. Sam caught the lightly thrown item easily; shaking it out to reveal the shirt that went with the outfit she was wearing. She grinned as she realized someone had taken the time to put SGC patches on the sleeves.

"You'd better put that on, it will be dark by the time we reach the gate, and it already feels colder," Janet told her with teasing sternness. "I'm going to tell the guys you're decent."

Sam smiled, shrugging into the too large button down shirt. "Yes ma'am," she responded cheekily, and Janet gave her a knowing look and answering smile as she walked away.

Even with the shirtsleeves and pant legs rolled up, Sam knew she looked ridiculous, so she couldn't help but look down at the ground shyly as the guys re-entered the clearing.

"Whoo, Carter, we better see about requisitioning you some new uniforms when we get back to base, those certainly won't pass inspection!" Jack commented lightheartedly, and Sam looked up to find him standing in front of her, relaxed, hands casually resting on his P-90.

"Definitely not regulation," Daniel added, his pose equally relaxed, arms crossed on his chest as he pretended to examine her critically.

"Indeed not," Teal'c added, unable to fully hide his amusement.

Sam rolled her eyes as the teasing assaulted her from unexpected quarters. "Oh fine, laugh all you want, can we go now?" she asked to change the subject.

Staring down at her feet, Jack merely commented, "No shoes?"

Looking down too, she wriggled her bare toes in the grass. Tilting her head back up, she gave an apologetic half shrug. "They're way too big, sir, I'll probably fall on my face if I wear them."

He nodded. "We'll have to have Teal'c carry you I guess," he determined. "That ok with both of you?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

"I would be honored," Teal'c agreed readily.

Sam looked back down at her feet and sighed. It wasn't exactly the way back home she would have chosen, but she really didn't have much choice. "Yeah, ok," she said.

"We'll put the rest of your gear on the FRED," Jack told her, looking at her discarded vest and weapons. Sam hadn't even tried to see how any of those fit yet.

Instinctively, Sam wanted to protest giving up her weapons, even as Teal'c handed over his staff weapon so he could kneel down in front of her. Instead, all she said was "Yes, sir," as she wrapped her arms and legs around Teal'c. She realized that she'd never be able to handle the kick the P-90 put out at her current size. It would knock her flat, and who knows what she'd hit. She thought she could handle the Zat, but she needed both hands to cling onto Teal'c's back. The Colonel was right, but she couldn't help but gaze longingly at them as Daniel gathered up her loose gear.

The trip back to the stargate was unremarkable. Daniel dialed the gate, and signaled once he'd sent their iris code. Teal'c carried her through, and Sam found the trip familiar despite her new size.

The General waited for them at the bottom of the ramp, his eyes immediately seeking her out. Sam saw his eyebrows climb in surprise.

"Major Carter?" he asked hesitantly.

"It's me, sir," she reassured him quickly. Teal'c came to a stop in front of the General, but made no move to put her down. The General's eyes darted to the Colonel, clearly seeking an explanation.

"There was a bit of a glitch, sir," Jack supplied. "Something about a power surge," he added with a helpless shrug.

For his part, General Hammond barely blinked. "Very well, we'll have a full debrief once all of you have cleared medical."

A chorus of yes sirs joined her own, and the group moved to follow his command, but Sam could feel his eyes and the eyes of the security team on her as Teal'c carried her out of the room. In fact, there were a lot of surprised looks greeting them and her in particular on their way through the familiar hallways.

In the infirmary, Teal'c gently set her down on an empty bed, taking the one next to hers. Daniel and Jack took the other nearby beds. The scientists were led into another room as Janet pulled the curtain in Sam's cubicle.

Janet had planned ahead it seemed, and had taken pains to have smaller sized equipment on hand. Sam's post mission examination was no less thorough than normal.

"Well?" Sam asked, as Janet finished, making notes in her chart. Janet looked up and smiled.

"Everything checks out," she told her. "Aside from a bit higher ratio of muscle mass than is usual for a child this age, you are exactly like any other healthy girl of five."

"So, I can leave?" asked Sam hopefully.

Janet frowned thoughtfully. "Well, to be honest I'd feel more comfortable if we kept you here overnight," she said, and at Sam's crestfallen face, added hurriedly, "Of course I see no reason you can't go to the debriefing and get something to eat before you come back here," she allowed.

Sam brightened, and Janet switched tracks. "Why don't you wait here for me, we can check and see if I have anything in the back closet that will fit you better than what you are wearing. After the Colonel came back with you three from P35-437 the first time, I decided it would be a good idea to keep some more clothing on hand in smaller sizes. After all, it wasn't the first time we've had smaller guests here," she explained.

In perfect agreement, Sam waited until Janet had her own post mission performed, and then followed the other woman to the closet. The rest of SG-1 had already finished their post missions, and likely headed for the showers. With any luck, by the time she found something else to wear, the showers would be ready for her. The two women quickly sifted through the potential items, finding a pair of blue jeans that looked like they'd fit, and two t-shirts. One was plain pink, while the other was gray with the words "My dad's in the Air Force!" stamped on them in navy. They also managed to find socks, underwear and a pair of shoes that were only a little bit too big.

"Those should do for now, but you'll have to get more things soon," Janet decided, running a critical eye over the meager selections, and then back over the closet's contents as if looking to see if they'd missed anything.

Sam shrugged, gathering up the things they'd found. At least these things would fit, and she'd look a bit less ridiculous. "We're going to need a lot more, if I'm to be starting school next week." Sam shook her head over the idea.

"First day of kindergarten?" commented Janet, unsuccessfully hiding her amusement.

Sam groaned and shared an incredulous look with Janet. "Crazy huh?" she asked. "I thought it would be hard playing a middle school student, but now it feels even more far-fetched." Janet smiled, dropping a hand onto her shoulder and giving it a gentle sympathetic squeeze.

"You'll manage," the woman told her. "Now why don't you and I go hit the showers?" she suggested, looking down at her friend. Sam was again struck by the new change in perspective.

On the way to the locker room, Sam was greeted with more double–takes and curious looks, but a few people greeted her by name or rank. Obviously, the SGC rumor mill was already spreading the word about just who the little girl was that had come back with the rest of SG-1.

Opening her locker, Sam realized she needed Janet's help to reach her shower kit on the top shelf. The showerheads seemed a lot further away than she was used to as well. Looking at her now small, childish hands as they washed and dried her body with familiar ease, Sam kept feeling like she was looking at herself with the eyes of someone else. It was her body, but it was also not. Everything from the way her skin felt to the absence of familiar curves and… other things, kept making her feel like she wasn't in her own body despite the signals from her brain telling her otherwise. It was a very strange sensation. Janet didn't seem to mind that Sam was taking longer in the shower than usual, nor that she spent an inordinate amount of time afterwards in front of the body length mirror, studying her reflection. She'd never really considered herself vain, but the transformations she'd just undergone had her wavering between curiosity and amazement.

Still though, she had a briefing to attend and after drying off, Sam quickly dressed, tugging the first t-shirt she grabbed over her head. The gray t-shirt and jeans were an almost perfect fit and Sam knew they could use the sizes as a starting point to expand her wardrobe. It was going to be weird not needing a bra for a while though. The shoes were a little loose, but she tightened the Velcro straps until they fit better. She was definitely going to have to make new shoes a priority. Velcro was for kids!

"I'm ready," she announced, jumping up from the bench and found Janet watching her with a curious expression on her face. Sam recognized it instantly as the one the woman wore whenever Cassie did something particularly sweet, especially when she'd been younger. "Don't even say it!" Sam warned her, crossing her arms across her chest threateningly, oblivious to the lack of effect her gesture now had. "Don't even think it!"

Janet tried to look innocent, and with a huff, Sam led the way out of the room, ignoring the looks she garnered as she walked down the hall. Catching up easily, Janet fell into step beside her friend. "You have to admit Sam, it's going to take some getting used to, for all of us," she said, voicing some of the thoughts Sam had already had.

Sam glanced up at the doctor's face and softened. "I know," she said, acknowledging the importance of the other woman's words and the unspoken apology.

Since they were the last to arrive at the post mission briefing, everyone turned to watch them enter, and Sam was suddenly self-conscious, frozen in the doorway. A cough from General Hammond redirected everyone's attention and Sam unfroze long enough to dart over to a nearby empty chair and scramble up into it. She quickly realized that the chair was much bigger than she remembered, and her head barely cleared to top of the table. It was very disconcerting, but Sam pushed the feeling aside. Arriving at a quick solution, she tucked her legs up under her, raising her up a few needed inches. It still felt very strange, but at least she didn't feel like she was about to slide under the table.

"Major Carter, Doctor Fraiser," the General greeted without batting an eye, too much of a leader and a gentleman to make any comment on Sam's unorthodox seating arrangement. "Shall we begin?" he asked instead.

"Well, General, as you can see, the mission was a success but we'll have to make a few modifications to the plan," Jack started off, getting right down to the point.

Looking thoughtful, Hammond nodded. "So, you think you will still be able to go ahead with the mission?" he asked.

Daniel answered. "Providence has a kindergarten class. We'll just have to change the class Sam is enrolled in, but it should still work."

"Major Carter," Hammond asked, "Are you in agreement that the mission is still possible?"

Sam looked at each of her teammates, and back to the General. "Yes sir, I am," she tried to say confidently, but her voice sounded childish even to her own ears.

"Actually," spoke Daniel, "I've thought about it, and it might work out even better. I'll be teaching kids in Sam's class and the first grade, and that will let us be more in contact with each other in a way that won't raise suspicions," he pointed out.

Teal'c looked thoughtful. "I believe this misfortune will in fact be to our advantage," he stated.

Everyone nodded, and the General addressed his next question to Dr. Lee. "Doctor, what caused this? You told me that you would be able to make the Major appear to be twelve years old, eleven at the youngest." His tone was level, with no hint of accusation, merely curious.

Dr. Lee scratched the side of his nose. "Well, uh, you see there was a bit of a power surge, and we lost most of our recording equipment. Colonel O'Neill wouldn't let me go back in until the smoke cleared," he explained, unable to hide a faint look of disappointment. "Until then, I won't be able to say what happened, or even if the device is undamaged," he admitted. "I'd uh, like to take a team back to the planet," he asked.

"Noted Doctor," Hammond said. "Dr. Fraiser?" he prompted.

During the exchange, Sam had been busy fiddling with her pen, marveling in the dual and conflicting feelings it gave her. Holding it was familiar, but her small hands found the length and weight awkward. Her handwriting was going to take a distinct dive into the illegible until she got used to it. As Dr. Fraiser made her report, sharing her findings with the rest of the group, Sam's thoughts caught up with something Dr. Lee had said.

Straightening, Sam interrupted the current conversation. Oblivious to the looks of surprise she received, she blurted out a question. "Dr. Lee, are you saying that the device might be damaged? That I might be stuck like this?" she asked, rising up on her knees and waving her hands to indicate her now smaller state. The rest of the group looked startled. Obviously they too had been caught up in events and salvaging the mission to think about what the smoke and fried equipment might also mean in the long run.

"Uh, well, actually, I don't know yet," the man admitted reluctantly.

"Sir, permission to accompany Dr. Lee and his team back to P35-437," she requested, turning to face the General.

His answer shocked her. "Negative," he said.

"But, sir," she protested, readying an argument, but the General forestalled her with a raised hand.

"I'm sorry Major, but Dr. Lee will have to head the mission on P35-437. You are too important to the Providence mission for anything else," he stated in a way that was clear he would not be swayed. His features softened as Sam was unable to hide her feelings about his denial. "I understand your concerns, Major. When your first mission has been completed, I will be happy to reconsider, but until then, your mission to Providence School must be your first and only priority." He waited, giving her time to absorb his orders and make any argument. When she only nodded, looking back down at her pen, he looked around the table. "Is there anything else? No? Then this meeting is dismissed."

Sam's thoughts were in a daze as everyone around her stood and left. She looked up as the rest of her team surrounded her, and took in their quiet and concerned faces.

"You ok Sam?" Daniel asked.

She nodded automatically, and then said with more surety than she felt, "I'll be ok, it's just a lot to take in," she admitted.

Jack didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he suggested, "Everything is better with a little… pie," he finished. "Commissary?"

She couldn't help it, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Ok, sir," she decided.

He looked pleased, bouncing slightly in place. "Good," he said, clapping his hands together once. "Let's eat."

_A/N: Sorry for the delay! But I had to finish my taxes, and all I could think about was itemizing, exemptions, additions, subtractions, deductions, add the amount in box b to line 3 and divide by the amount on line 66a etc. And then, today was so beautiful.. I got started on a little yard work. And really, now, I should be in bed, but here I am, posting this next chapter for you. So be sure to tell me how wonderful I am. (wink wink, nudge nudge)_

_Anyway, for those of you who have missed updates on Sammy and Dragon… they are both fat, and had a blast today with all the windows open. I also discovered that the catnip I planted last year came back up on it's own, so they both had a good wallow in it when I brought them a few sprigs. Here's to spring!_


	5. Little Adjustments

_Chapter 5: Little Adjustments_

Getting in line with her team, Sam discovered that she could just see over the top of the counter. Casually, Daniel grabbed an extra tray from the tall stack and set it in front of her. She had to stand on tiptoes to reach most of her choices, although she didn't miss Jack nonchalantly nudging some of her favorite things a little closer to the edge when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Would you also like some Jell-o, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked as they reached the end of the line, reaching into the top of the dessert case and removing a cup of red Jell-o for himself. The dessert was definitely out of her reach without a step stool or a boost and she nodded shyly.

"Thanks guys," she said quietly, as Teal'c placed a cup of the blue gelatin on her tray.

They were all being exceedingly polite, although Jack couldn't resist a bit of gentle teasing as the four of them claimed seats at their usual table. "Cute shirt, Carter," he said gently, taking a big bite out of his stew.

Sam blushed, hiding her embarrassment in pouring dressing over her salad. "There weren't a lot of choices, sir," she defended.

"At least it's true," said Daniel innocently, a twinkle in his eye as he bit into his sandwich.

"I'm going to need to get some more clothes," Sam pointed out, redirecting the subject. "This and one more shirt are all Janet and I could find in my size," she told them, spearing up a forkful of vegetables.

Jack looked thoughtful. "You'll need more than clothes I think. Sounds like we need to make a little fieldtrip tomorrow," he mused.

She nodded. "Yes, sir. Janet wants me in the infirmary overnight, but she'll probably let me go in the morning," she told him, then put her fork in her mouth, stopping in surprise at the flavors exploding over her tongue.

"Is there something wrong with your meal, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked, pausing in his own eating to look at her curiously.

Finding the rest of the team watching her inquiringly, she hastily swallowed, washing the bite down with her drink. She shook her head, and tried to explain. "Its just, everything tastes a little… stronger," she admitted, attempting to find a word to convey the sensation.

"Huh," Daniel answered. "I'd heard kids have more taste buds, but that's pretty wild Sam," he told her, looking fascinated.

"Well, you know it's always hard to get kids to eat their vegetables," Jack said with a grin, as he watched Sam eagerly taking another bite of her food. Obviously, there were a few exceptions, although maybe the scientist was the one controlling the urge. Currently, her face was relaxed; eyes closed in delight, making her look more like the age she'd been reverted to. Until that moment, they'd all been able to see the woman under the outward appearance of a child.

Giving himself a mental shake, Jack brought the subject back on track. "So, tomorrow afternoon?" he asked. "We can go to Target, get clothes and school supplies."

Everyone agreed, and Daniel added, "I'll probably need a few things too."

Pointing his fork at the man, Jack told him "Make a list, I'll get permission from the General." Daniel nodded, and it was clear from his face that he was already making a mental list.

The rest of their meal was finished mostly in silence, as thoughts turned to their next mission. They all went in different directions after the meal. Jack headed for his office to work on his mission report; Daniel went for his to start the list. Teal'c was going to the gym for a work out. Sam stopped by her locker, and headed for her lab. If she was going to be stuck in the infirmary all night, she intended to be productive.

Janet looked slightly surprised to see her show up so early in the evening, but made no comment over the laptop and files she carried. Sam climbed into the bed and let Janet take a set of vitals while her computer booted up. "So, how are things?" the Doctor asked casually.

Sam shrugged, trying to put her feelings into words. "Ok, things are a little weird, but I guess that's normal considering." She frowned at the questioning look Janet gave her and tried to explain. "Not weird in a bad way. Just… different I guess. Me, the things around me, everything really," she finished with a half-shrug.

Removing the pediatric blood pressure cuff, Janet studied her friend thoughtfully for a moment. "I suppose it will just take some getting used to," she replied, seeming to understand what Sam was trying to say.

"Yeah," she agreed, then turned her attention to her laptop as it beeped, signaling it was ready to go. Janet excused herself, and Sam soon lost herself in her work.

The hours passed quickly. Sam finished her report on the mission to P35-437 and saved it, turning to the file folder containing the details on the identity she was to assume. She tried to familiarize herself with the information, trying out her new name "Samantha Lewis." The Colonel, playing the part of her father and the owner of Aerotech Enterprises, was Jonathon "Jack" Lewis. The idea of Jack acting as her father didn't freak her out as much as she thought it would. Maybe she was just used to him being in charge after all these years. Still, it was definitely going to be one of the weirdest missions she'd ever been on.

Thinking of their cover stories led to thoughts of the role she was to play. She'd had doubts before about playing the part of an eighth grader. But a kindergartener? She knew immediately that she'd have to be careful. The whole point of being undercover was to not draw attention to your self. She'd have to be very careful not to give it away that she was smarter than the average five year old. But how to hide a lifetime of knowledge and experiences? It bore a lot of thinking, and Sam was startled by a sudden yawn. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was a lot later than she'd thought. Sliding off the bed, she gathered up the files and powered down her laptop, closing it and placing it carefully on the nightstand.

Grabbing her toothbrush and her own adult sized t-shirt that she'd grabbed from her locker before coming to the infirmary, Sam headed back to the bathroom. She was just padding back to bed when Janet came out of her office. The woman smiled at Sam's chosen sleepwear, but said nothing out loud.

"Here I thought I'd have to chase you to bed," Janet told her as she climbed into the bed, pulling up the covers.

Sam grinned sheepishly and shook her head. "It's been a long day," she admitted, and then yawned again. She laughed at herself, "The Colonel is taking SG-1 shopping tomorrow. Daniel and I both need things. Back to school shopping," she said ruefully, "It's been a long time since I've had to do that!" She chuckled at the idea.

Janet laughed with her. "Well, I'll not keep you from your rest. As long as your lab work comes back clear tomorrow, and everything goes all right tonight, I'll let you go in the morning."

"Thanks, Janet," Sam told her sincerely.

"I'll be staying on base tonight," Janet added. "Cassie is spending the night with a friend, so I'm not really needed at home. Goodnight, Sam."

"Night Janet," Sam replied warmly, appreciating the fact that Janet was probably staying because of her. She laid back in the bed, tucking her hands behind her head and staring at the ceiling as the other woman left, dimming the lights.

As she looked up in the semi darkness of the infirmary, thoughts cascaded through her head, and she felt it would be some time before she could actually sleep. Her body had other plans though, and Sam was asleep much sooner than she thought she would. It seemed like next to no time had passed before woke the next morning, feeling oddly refreshed in a way she hadn't in a long time.

She was up and dressed, choosing the pink t-shirt this morning, by the time Janet joined her. Looking over her overnight vitals and the lab work that had come back, Janet quickly agreed to let her go. "I want you to come back right away though," the doctor cautioned, "If you experience anything at all unusual. Oh, and you should probably try to avoid sugar and caffeine."

Sam looked up in surprise. "No coffee?" she asked.

Janet smiled. "Only if it's decaf," she allowed. "Children react more easily to caffeine and sugar than adults do," she explained. "Somehow, I think you'd rather not be bouncing off the walls."

"I'll keep it in mind," Sam told her. "Thanks Janet."

Sam left the infirmary, dropping off the things from last night that she didn't need. She went to the commissary, grabbing her usual bagel with cream cheese, and a bottle of orange juice. On impulse, she poured a bowl of cereal and picked up a carton of milk and an apple. For some reason, she was really hungry this morning!

Balancing her selections on top of the laptop and files she'd chosen to hang onto, Sam found her feet carrying her not to her lab as usual, but to Daniel's office. Last night when she'd gone to her lab, she'd found the room a bit imposing. The tables alone were taller than her head, and Sam didn't relish a morning spent perched on her high stool trying to reach things, despite the tantalizing appeal of several things she'd been working on recently. Just outside of her teammate's office, Sam could smell the tempting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She was going to have a hard time following Janet's advice.

At her hesitant knock, Daniel looked up for a text he was reading, one hand holding a pen poised over his notepad. He'd been mumbling to himself when she'd arrived. The archeologist looked over the top of his book, and then lowered it, sitting up higher to see her in the doorway over the clutter of objects on his desk.

"Sam!" he greeted warmly. "Come in, have a seat," he said, getting up and hastily clearing off a chair and making a place on his desk for her to set her burden down.

"Morning Daniel," she answered, smiling in thanks as she put her things on the desk and sat in the offered chair. She couldn't help the longing gaze she sent to the coffee maker in the corner. Daniel always made an excellent pot, and there was enough in the carafe for one more cup.

Catching her look, Daniel grinned. "Do you want a cup? You know you're always welcome to share with me," he offered.

Sadly, Sam shook her head. "Janet said I should try to avoid caffeine. Something about my metabolism being different now," she explained to his curious look.

Daniel blinked, then held up a finger. "Wait a second, I have just the solution," he said cheerfully. Turning, he poured the last of the coffee into his cup, and then bent to rummage in a drawer. "Here it is," he announced, holding up a bag. "Decaf," he told her smugly.

"You? With decaf?" Sam asked in surprise.

With a boyish grin, Daniel changed the filter in the machine and measured out a few spoonfuls of grounds. "I've lost count of the number of times Janet has refused to let me have caffeine," he admitted ruefully. "There, let me just get some water, I'll be right back." He left, carrying the empty coffee pot.

Smiling, Sam gave her attention over to breakfast. Daniel returned and restarted the coffee pot. He poured her a cup when it was done, and the two of them settled into a companionable silence, each working on their own projects.

In was in that way that Colonel O'Neill found them several hours later, Teal'c standing just behind. "Howdy folks," he greeted, standing with his hands casually stuffed in his pockets.

"Hey guys," Daniel greeted.

Sam turned in her chair and smiled. "Morning sir, Teal'c."

Jack's practiced eye traveled over the two of them, taking in the empty breakfast plates and the mugs by each of their places. He narrowed his eye at the nearly empty coffee pot.

"It's decaf," she defended hastily.

"Want some?" offered Daniel innocently.

Jack made a face. "Urgh, no thanks. You two haven't been in here all morning have you? It's practically lunchtime," he complained.

The two scientists shared a guilty look, and Jack threw up his hands in mock dismay. "What am I going to do with the two of you? You never learn." He turned to his companion. "Teal'c, help me out here buddy."

Teal'c inclined his head, face amused. "Perhaps we should acquire lunch, O'Neill," he suggested.

"Good idea!" Jack praised.

"Actually, I could eat, sir," Sam said in surprise.

Jack grinned over the easy victory, and turned to the last member of SG-1. Daniel shrugged. "Yeah, ok," he agreed.

"Sweet," Jack proclaimed. "After lunch, we can do the shopping thing," he decided. "You done that list Daniel?"

"Uh, yeah," Daniel answered, shifting a few things on his desk and coming up with a slip of paper covered in his distinctive scrawl. Jack raised his eyebrows at the length.

"Did you get everything down? Pencils, paper, the kitchen sink?" he asked sarcastically as they headed out of the office.

Daniel shook his head in exasperation. "Jack! We're both going to need a lot of things. It's not like we can go in with supplies stamped 'Property of the USAF.'"

Sam fell back with Teal'c and shared a smile with the man as the other two men started to debate the matter. Now in front of her, Jack grabbed the list out Daniel's hand. "It's a good thing the General gave me a credit card with a big limit," he muttered, after scanning the number of items on the list. With a sour look he handed it back.

Daniel of course made an automatic retort, but Sam was too busy looking around the hallways as they walked to pay attention. Sam let the familiar arguing fade into the background as she took in how different everything felt. The feeling of dislocation she'd experienced last night came back to her, and she was preoccupied during their entire meal and while she waited for the guys to change into street clothes.

The rest of her team took note of her atypically subdued mood, and didn't press her, instead, filling the air with normal conversation while they ate and afterwards made their way to the surface. She passed through the security checkpoints presenting her ID automatically and barely registering the explanation the Colonel gave the confused guards for her. She absently returned the greetings the guards gave her.

Once topside, SG-1 headed towards the vehicle they were borrowing for the mission, Sam trailing behind, lost in her own thoughts. The guys went ahead, careful not to go too far away, but respecting her need for space. When they reached the SUV however, Jack stopped, and turned around to face her, waiting for her to catch up.

"Carter," he said gravely, one hand on the back door, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to ride in the back seat," he told her. Sam blinked, and shrugged. She had no problem with that, but Jack continued before she could say so. "Luckily for you, Colonel Dixon heard we were heading out and he's loaned us his daughter's booster seat, at least until we can pick up another one." With that, he pulled open the back door.

Startled, Sam took an involuntary step back. Shaking her head, she held up her hands in front of her. "Uh, no way. You don't seriously expect me to ride in that do you sir?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from the horrible pink contraption in front of her to look at her CO. Unfortunately for her, the Colonel had his arms crossed. He didn't appear to be joking.

"Colorado state law, Carter. Six years old or 55 inches tall, neither of which you are right now," he admonished sternly. Her eyes widened in shock, he must have studied the law verbatim!

"But," she protested helplessly, shooting desperate glances at her teammates. Teal'c was studying the booster seat, and Daniel looked slightly embarrassed and was pretending disinterest, neither of them looked like they'd be coming to her aid any time soon. Vainly, she struggled to come up with some logical reason to keep from having to ride in the thing in the back seat. It was hideous, all colorful… and childish. And pink. There was no way she was getting in that thing. No way!

"Ah ah! No buts Carter. The law is the law." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Now get in the seat, Major," he ordered in a way that signaled the discussion was over. He gestured with his hands for her to do just that. Still resisting, Sam stood rooted, hoping to come up with a good reason why she should be exempt.

Studying her and SG-1's leader in open curiosity, Teal'c wondered mildly, "Major Carter, would this seat not offer you increased protection in a collision?"

"See?" Jack exclaimed, "That's the point Teal'c! Safety first, that's what I always say." His grin seemed to indicate he'd come up with the idea in the first place.

"That's not the… Oh, never mind," she grumbled, finally giving in. Getting in the truck was a bit of a struggle; she literally had to climb up using the door and seat to find hand and toe holds. Wisely, the rest of her team remained silent, and once she was in the truck, Jack shut the door. The rest of them got in, leaving her to puzzle out the five-point harness restraint and how best to approach it.

Somehow, she managed to get her arms into the right places, grumbling quietly the whole time. "Sorry, Sam," Daniel mumbled apologetically as he slid in from the other side. Sam only nodded distractedly, focused on working out the buckles. She really shouldn't be having all that much trouble, after all a five point harness was nothing new, just about any aircraft she'd ever flown had at least that. Dimly, she heard three sets of seatbelts buckle into place, while she'd only managed to find one connection. One of the straps was twisted too, and she'd encountered several stains and something squishy in the crevasses of the seat that she'd rather not think about.

"Uh, Carter, you need a little help back there?" asked Jack, twisting in the front seat to look back at her. "I'm sure Daniel can give you a hand if you need it."

Interrupted from her task, Sam looked up quickly. Three sets of eyes met hers, and Daniel tried to smile reassuringly. "Uh, that's ok, I'm good sir, I got it," she assured them hastily with more confidence than she felt, turning hurriedly back to her task.

Jack studied her for a moment, and then turned back around. "That's ok Carter, take all the time you need," he told her. "Not like we have a deadline or anything," he muttered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, impatient to get going. "Isn't that right kids?" he asked loudly, the word slipping out from accustomed use.

As if to cover his slip, Daniel and Teal'c both spoke at the same time, their words lost in each other's voices. Teal'c turned away to look out the window and Daniel looked at her guiltily. Jack fiddled with his keys.

"When I'm back to normal, you are all so going down," she promised under her breath, squirming and finally sending the last connection home with a click. "Ready!" she announced more loudly.

"What was that, Major?" Jack asked, as he started the truck, eyeing her in the rearview mirror. From his tone, she knew he had heard what she'd said. Fidgeting against the unfamiliar sensation of the booster seat and harness and feeling her cheeks burn, Sam wondered what to tell him. While they'd all been exceedingly polite and courteous, there had still been some teasing and always a bit of amusement at her expense just lurking under the surface. She knew it was only a matter of time before they quit holding back. To her mind, the whole booster seat thing was just the beginning.

"Uh, Jack," Daniel interrupted with impeccable timing, saving her from reply. "If we're going out in public, wouldn't it look, oh, unusual, to address Sam by her last name or rank?" he asked with feigned innocence. Sam sent him a grateful smile when she knew Jack wasn't looking.

Diverted, Jack looked surprised for a moment. "Daniel," he admitted, missing their exchange, "When you're right, you're right. You heard him folks, first names from now on." Teal'c nodded and Daniel settled back into his seat with a smirk. He'd have no trouble with first names. Jack rolled his eyes and glanced at Sam in the rearview again. "Sam?" he asked, trying out the name.

"Yes s… Jack," she stammered in agreement. She'd start with Jack, and later they could worry about their cover story. Right now, she didn't think she could go from Sir or Colonel to Dad. And she was not going to call him Daddy. No. Way.

The Colonel seemed to agree with her unspoken words. "We'll work on it," he promised, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror. "We've got time to work on the rest." He turned his attention back to driving, and Sam was left to her own thoughts, letting the familiar banter of her team wash over her. Resting her head back on the padded headrest, Sam was grateful that at least she was tall enough to see out the window, even if she couldn't see anything out the front. She stared at the passing scenery, lost in thought. It seemed like every single thing she did was taking time to get used to. Even old familiar things, like dressing or showering or using a pen just felt off, like she was using someone else's body. A very small someone else. It had been a little disorienting at times so far. She was starting to doubt if she'd be ready to take on the mission in a week.

Somehow though, she had to try.

_A/N: Sorry for the delay! Hopefully though, it was worth the wait. As always, I greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions. Many thanks to all of you who have left feedback of some sort thus far, and especially thank you for those who do so regularly._


	6. A Little Shopping

_Chapter 6: A Little Shopping_

It seemed like no time at all had passed before they were pulling into the lot of the local Target. Jack quickly found a parking spot, and Sam was pulled from her thoughts when the three men of SG-1 got out of the truck. They waited patiently while she extricated herself from the seat, which fortunately was easier than getting in had been. She felt she'd have an easier time with the restraints when they were ready to leave.

Even though the team was in no hurry, Sam found she had to quicken her stride to keep up with the men's longer ones. They didn't seem to realize that she couldn't keep up as easily as she normally did, and she wasn't ready yet to ask them to slow down.

Once inside the store, Teal'c picked up a circular, and Jack grabbed a cart, both men heading down the main aisle together. Sam started to follow but found herself rooted not far inside the entrance, suddenly feeling uneasy. The store was packed with weekend shoppers, most of them heading out on one of the last shopping weekends before school started. Despite many trips to this very store in the past, the place seemed a lot bigger than she remembered, even the low shelves just inside the doorway now taller than her head. Noise assaulted her from the nearby electronics department, competing with the sounds from the busy registers and the din created by what felt like hundreds of people shopping.

A figure stopped next to her, and Sam looked up to find Daniel gazing down at her in concern. After studying her for a moment, he crouched down next to her, so they were more or less on the same eye level. "You ok?" he asked just loud enough for her to hear, as shoppers came and went around the small island they made. While a few people looked at the two curiously, most of them went about their business, many grabbing or returning carts, others heading off on different errands.

Sam blinked, pulling herself out of her reverie, and tried to figure out how to voice what she was feeling in a way he'd understand. "Everything seems so much larger," she confessed. And noisy. And crowded, neither of which she added. Irrational as it felt, for the first time in her adult life she was worried about being on her own, concerned that she could get easily separated from the rest of her team. While the rational part of her mind argued she could handle herself, the rest of her brain was telling her how tiny she was, how insignificant.

How vulnerable.

She wasn't used to feeling that way, had always taken pride in her strength and ability to defend herself or her team. Years of discipline, training, and experience had given her the capacity to take on all sorts of situations, but suddenly, she felt like she was at a major disadvantage. Small stirrings of doubt started to nag at her.

Somehow, Daniel seemed to understand her unvoiced thoughts as well as her spoken words. He gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry Sam, we're all in this together."

Before she could reply, they both startled as they heard Jack calling them. Her friend stood and rose up slightly on his toes to wave back in the direction the voice had come from. Sam looked for the rest of her team in the direction he was waving, but all she could see was a sea of legs, clothing racks, and shopping carts. She bumped into something solid and realized she'd run into Daniel's legs. "Sorry," she mumbled still trying to see where the Colonel and Teal'c were.

"Sam?" Daniel asked her worriedly, his forehead crinkled with his concern.

Sam just shook her head. "I can't see them, Daniel," she admitted, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice. It had been different at the SGC. At least there she'd been surrounded by familiar faces. It didn't hurt that she knew the complex like the back of her hand, and the base had been much less crowded. She'd also spent most of the last twenty-four hours in the infirmary, or the well-known haunts of Daniel's office. Whenever she'd left those areas, she'd usually been surrounded by her team. Drowning herself in paperwork had helped some too. She had to admit to herself that she was more than a little overwhelmed by the crowds and just how much bigger everything felt. Maybe this trip so soon had been a bad idea.

Daniel gazed down at her, adjusting his glasses. Then he held out his hand. "I know where they are," he told her. Sam hesitated, biting her lip while embarrassment fought with the desire to take the security Daniel was silently offering her. Good sense finally won out, and she placed her hand in his, instantly reassured when his larger hand warmly enveloped hers in a secure grip. He smiled encouragingly down at her, and then led the way to the rest of the team, unconsciously matching his stride to her much shorter one.

The crowd parted so she could see Teal'c and the Colonel nearby, and she met their inquiring gazes with a slightly defiant lift of her jaw. Teal'c turned to study the items on a nearby end cap, and Jack's eyes slid over hers and Daniel's joined hands, but he said nothing. Instead, once they'd joined up he asked Daniel for the list.

Blinking, Daniel was forced to let go of her hand to rummage around in his pockets. "Here it is," he announced after a brief search, pulling out the slightly crumpled paper. While Jack looked over Daniel's shoulder at the list, Sam reached out and curled her fingers tightly around the side of the cart. If they noticed, no one said anything about it. Once Jack decided where to start, Sam moved as the cart did, finding she was only paying partial attention to the conversation her teammates were having because she was too distracted by all the activity going on around her. She knew she could afford to be preoccupied because her team would watch out for her, and she took comfort in that fact as she tilted her head up taking in her surroundings and trying to absorb the differences, letting her team guide her in the right direction. The group made their way to the back of the store, starting with the back to school section.

Sam soon found she had little interest in the shopping, while the three men were overly enthusiastic as if the make up for her unaccustomed quiet, picking out the things she would need. Mostly she responded when they asked her opinion on things, though she did keep one eye on the things that made it into the cart, peering over the edge of it now and again to make sure they weren't putting too many cutesy kid things in there. For the most part though, the guys seemed to realize she didn't want things that were pink or had cute animals all over them, and if there was a choice, they tended to choose things that had stars or rocket ships and outer space themes. The folders with high test sports cars she wasn't sure who had added to the cart, but the pencils with little gray Asgard-like aliens had Jack's hand stamped all over them. Likewise, the Star Wars erasers had obviously been contributed by Teal'c. When the pencil box with a dessert scene and what looked like a pyramid on the top dropped onto the growing pile in the bottom of the cart, Sam looked up in surprise to meet Daniel's startled eyes. The man flushed and mumbled something about puppies or battle bots being the alternatives and turned hastily away to join Teal'c over at the display of lunch bags.

Uncharacteristically silent and reluctant to let go of the cart, Sam was mostly content to let the guys do the shopping for her. Of course, when Jack tried to add a plastic coated Simpsons themed backpack to the cart, she hastily switched it out with a black canvas one detailed with the Harley Davidson logo. Hey, she only looked five, and the Colonel didn't have to carry the thing! Jack looked disappointed when he noticed her substitution, but didn't comment as he dropped several notebooks into the cart. Daniel dutifully crossed both items off the list. As they finished with the back to school section, they headed over to the clothes and shoe departments. Equally crowded, and with a line for the fitting room, Sam shook her head when Jack asked her if she wanted to try anything on.

"Let's just save the receipt," she asked, a bit more plaintively than she intended, inwardly cursing herself for her weakness. Jack eyed the hand she still had in a death grip on the cart and nodded. Obediently, she held still while Daniel checked the tags on the things she was wearing to get the sizes, and the men let her pick out most of everything, even though they couldn't resist a few suggestions. Jack looked ecstatic when he found a familiar display containing the dark blue and olive drab cargo pants, matching oversized shirts and black t-shirts. She couldn't stop the smile at his excitement, and nodded her agreement as sets in each color were added to the cart. She could always wear the items on base. With the right patches sewn on, they could even pass for uniforms. Not that anyone outside the SGC would believe that she was really an Air Force Major. At least not at the age she looked.

Sam stayed involved enough to choose several packs of socks, underwear, and a jacket. She eschewed sleepwear over the too adorable options in her size, deciding that her own adult sized t-shirts were more than suitable. The one she'd worn last night came down past her knees. She picked out shoes, going for a plain pair in white and blue, despite Jack's trying to tempt her with ones that had little lights. There was a nostalgic look on his face that she couldn't place as he reluctantly replaced the shoes on the shelf. Vaguely, she'd recalled a similar pair in the room at the Colonel's place that had been hers a few months previous. With a little searching, they actually managed to find a pair in her size with laces that didn't have cartoon characters on the sides. Daniel commented that she'd probably be the only kid in the class that could tie her own shoes without assistance.

Finally, they had everything on Daniel's list, except the dreaded but necessary booster seat. Sam trudged reluctantly alongside the cart to the infants department, suddenly finding the floor attractive, as Jack started to point out the features of the various seats.

"Hey, look, this one has a holder for a juice box!" he enthused over one model. While Jack started to play with the adjustable armrests, Daniel crouched down and turned a box around, studying the features of another of the products. Teal'c wandered down the aisle, examining all of the display models closely, as if looking for defects.

"Any preferences Sam?" Daniel asked absently, as he turned around a second box to compare features with the first one.

Looking up at being addressed directly, Sam felt comfortable enough to let go of the cart. They were the only ones in the aisle. Looking over the models on display, Sam shook her head slowly. She really wasn't interested in picking out a booster seat for herself. It just felt too weird. Wrinkling up her nose, she did make one request. "Please, not pink, and not that one," she pointed to one on the end that had a fabric print of adorable animals that looked like they would be perfect on a nursery wall. The rest at least looked like they were designed to be used for several years as the child aged, and while they did not look like they were for infants, the very nature of what it was made them all look childish in her eyes. The men looked amused, but wisely didn't say anything about her disqualifications and were soon involved in a spirited debate about which seat they should purchase. Daniel seemed to have made his choice based on features, while Teal'c had found one that he felt would offer the most protection. Jack seemed fixated on patterns and extras. No one seemed very concerned with price.

Content to let them hash out the final choice, after giving the three runners up a once over and deciding none of them stood out particularly in her mind's eye, Sam wandered away from the cart, walking to the end of the aisle. Unlike the rest of the store, the infant's department was quiet, most of the shoppers out today picking up items for back to school. She felt drawn to the busier center aisle, wanting to get used to the crowds and how small she felt. She was careful not to leave the aisle; the guys were visible a few meters away. Jack had his arms crossed as he watched Daniel waving hands and pointing to something on a box. Teal'c stood with hands behind his back, listening intently to the other two men's arguments. They could just as easily have been in a briefing or off world, discussing a way to do things. Usually, Sam would have joined in, but today, she was too busy trying to get used to her new perspective on the world. The debate behind her faded away as she turned around, finding herself people watching instead, something she hadn't done in a long time.

In front of her, people bustled to and fro, intent on their errands. Most of them paid her no attention, but a few smiled at her, and one tow-headed little boy of about six or seven whose mother was tugging him along gave her an impudent grin and a little wave. Sam smiled tentatively back. She felt a little more comfortable now, but was content to stay where she was, within sight and sound of the rest of her team. Turning to survey the front of the store, Sam was greeted with long lines at the crowded registers. She wasn't looking forward to checking out. The frequent beeps of the scanners were audible even over the general noise in the store. People talking, children laughing, the sound of a sale's associate's walkie chattering all competed to create an overall din, and Sam was finding it fascinating in some odd way. An aisle or two over, a toddler started to cry in the unmistakable sounds of what was building into a full tantrum, the high pitched sound traveling noticeably over the other noises as the unfortunate parent transported the child closer to where she stood.

"Jenny! What are you doing here?" came a sudden loud male voice behind her, clearly heard over the nearby screaming and general noise level of the store. Sam started to turn and investigate when she felt her hand grabbed in an uncompromising grip. She was dragged several steps before she even registered what was happening. Unsuccessfully, she tried to disengage her hand, but the man wasn't even looking at her as he tugged her along, berating her loudly. "I've had just about enough of you wandering off, young lady! I knew we should have put you right in the cart, and as soon as we find your mother that's exactly where you're going!" He continued on in the same vein, seemingly full of righteous parental fury as he hauled her further away from where her teammates shopped.

Sam pulled harder, trying to twist out of his grasp and dragging her feet in a vain attempt to slow the man down, her sneakers sliding uselessly over the smooth tiles. "Hey! Let go, I'm not…" she protested trying to be heard over the man's constant lecturing, but the man ignored her words, raising his voice to be heard over hers. Meanwhile, the unseen child's wailing rose in pitch as the still out of sight toddler signaled his or her displeasure, and Sam realized with a start that even if she pitched a similar fit, no one would find it amiss. In fact, several people had already eyed the pair, some curious, some slightly disapproving, all of them ignoring what they perceived to be a father disciplining an unwilling child.

"Stop that, Jenny!" the man told her sternly in response to her near worthless attempts at physically slowing their advance, busy surveying the crowds presumably to locate his missing wife. He gave her arm a practiced yank that forced her to stop leaning backward and take several large steps in the man's wake to avoid falling over. "You know the rules," the man continued unabated, "If you can't act like a big girl and be responsible, then your mom or I will hold your hand like a baby. Now, where is your mother? She must be worried sick!"

Desperately, Sam craned her neck, trying to spot one of the guys. The man wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't even look at her, and they were almost out of the infant department. He was too strong and she too small for her to physically break his hold or slow him down. She was just considering what defensive moves she could possibly use on the man to get his attention when a large figure stepped out in front of them, blocking their path, and forcing the man to stop his forward momentum. "Teal'c!" she gasped in relief.

His thick arms crossed sternly over his broad chest, Teal'c delivered a glare that no doubt had left trained Jaffa quaking in their boots. "You will release Samantha now," he stated evenly.

It was not a request.

The man stepped back in shock, tugging her unwillingly with him. "What? Samantha? Who…" his eyes followed the other man's glare, and he dropped Sam's hand as if electrocuted.

"Oh! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, this is a mistake, I mean, I saw her standing alone and I thought she was my little girl…" the man stumbled over his own words as Teal'c continued to block his way threateningly. Taking another step back, he jumped as he collided with Daniel, whose posture was not dissimilar to the one Teal'c held.

"Oh really?" Daniel asked quietly. He did not look very impressed.

"Just who are you anyway?" asked Jack, arriving on the scene, his words like steel. Reaching down, he picked up Sam, automatically transferring her to one hip and positioning himself so that his body was between hers and the man's. Instinctively, Sam wrapped her arms and legs around him, too filled with her own conflicting emotions to protest the surprise move.

"Do you always make a habit of running off with kids you don't know?" Daniel asked, his tone mild, but his posture anything but. Teal'c continued to glare silently.

Surrounded, the man looked like he was about to faint. He looked frantically at the three hard faces, the well-muscled bodies, and the unmistakable air of confidence that came with years of training and working together. He held out open hands in supplication. "Look, it was an honest mistake, I really thought she was my little Jenny, they look so much alike. Please, I'm a father!" The man was practically begging.

"I think he's telling the truth, sir," Sam whispered in Jack's ear. Just then, a little girl's voice was heard coming from the back of the store.

"Daddy! There you are Daddy! C'mon, Mommy says I can have a toy because I've been such a good girl!" Everyone turned at the sound of the voice to see a little girl about five or six. Her blond hair was of a length similar to Sam's, and she also wore a pink t-shirt and blue jeans with white tennis shoes. Although the little girl's shirt had butterflies on it while Sam's was plain, the resemblance was striking. A woman with long, equally blond hair stood behind the little girl, her face showing open curiosity and a little concern as she saw the three unfamiliar men surrounding her husband.

The man looked relieved, and pointed to his family. "See? Look, I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't mean to worry any of you, especially your little girl." He looked at each of them, genuinely contrite.

"Daddy?" called the other little girl again. At her call, Teal'c stepped aside, leaving just enough space to let the man slip by. The man wasted no time beating a hasty retreat, and with one last glance over his shoulder, he picked up the pace. "I'm coming sweetie!" he called.

"Well, that was interesting," commented Daniel, his brows furrowed as he watched the other man join his family and hustle them out of sight. His stiff posture relaxed marginally.

Jack just grunted, and when Sam squirmed trying to get him to put her back down, he tightened his grip and stalked back to the cart. With one hand, he started grabbing the items in the top of the cart and tossing them in the back. Sam realized his intent immediately.

Eyes on the now empty child seat, Sam tried to wriggle out of the Colonel's grasp but he was too quick and too determined. As he swung her into the seat, all protests died on her lips as she caught a glimpse of his face. His features were a mask of stone, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark. He didn't even look at her as he let her go.

"Teal'c, push the cart, I'll get us a place in line," he ordered gruffly, moving off, his body stiff. Instinctively, Sam knew the anger wasn't directed at her. She knew, because underneath the anger, she had seen fear. What had just happened, what could have been had it not been a simple honest mistake, had given the man a terrible scare. In fact, if she admitted it to herself, it had frightened all of them, including her. Knowing on some level she would be less independent and able to take care of herself in the form of a child, and suddenly being confronted with a situation that really drove it home was quite another thing. All of the little doubts she'd somehow managed to suppress earlier came rushing back at her. She slumped in the seat with a resigned sigh, not moving even when Teal'c placed his large hands on either side of her, surrounding and protecting her with his bulk. Daniel caught her eye as he fell into step beside them, giving her a sympathetic smile and a helpless shrug. He dropped one hand on the cart, near, but not touching. Sam felt all her irritation at the three men's overprotective actions dissolving away, replaced by a feeling of helplessness. She sighed again, watching the floor several feet below her small shoes pass by.

They met up with Jack at the checkout line as promised. As he and Daniel unloaded the cart Jack seemed to be recovering his usual confidence and earlier cheerful mood and traded jokes with the cashier and snarky comments with Daniel. Teal'c remained in front of her, his quiet presence comforting. Looking up, she found the man staring down at her, his gaze measuring.

"It was most disturbing to all of us to find you unwillingly going with a man we did not know," he told her quietly. "You must forgive us Samantha, if we have overreacted."

Sam glanced behind her, watching for a moment as Daniel loaded bags into the cart, and Jack swiped the credit card Hammond had given him. Somehow, knowing her team was looking out for her helped at least a little bit. She turned back to the large warrior and smiled ruefully. "It's ok, Teal'c, I understand," she told him, and then added, "Thank you." Teal'c nodded, looking relieved, and as soon the last bag was loaded, he pushed the cart outside.

Sitting back in the seat, Sam looked around her. Everything still seemed bigger than normal, but her vantage from the cart seat at least gave her a better-known point of view. After pushing the cart out to the car, Teal'c lifted her down while Jack opened up the truck and Daniel started grabbing bags. Deciding the three men had loading up well in hand, Sam decided to get a jumpstart on getting herself strapped in.

She had to reach up to grab the handle, and the door was a lot heavier than she remembered. Climbing up was easier now that she had the knack of it, but it took both hands to pull the door shut behind her. Looking up over the back of the seat, she caught sight of Daniel grinning at her as he pushed something inside through the open hatch, and the Colonel gave her a broad wink before he turned back around to grab another bag, but no one said anything. Sam turned her attention to the annoying harness.

The second time was much easier, and she was strapped in in half the time. By the time she was buckled in, the guys had just about finished loading up, and Sam grinned in amusement at the snatches of conversation she heard.

"I'm telling you Daniel, that cashier was checking you out," Jack was saying teasingly.

Daniel protested automatically. "She was not!"

"Oh, she was definitely looking, you man you." There was a sound of flesh meeting fabric-clad flesh, as Jack no doubt slapped the other man playfully. "You don't believe me, ask Teal'c. T-buddy, was she or was she not watching Daniel's six?" Sam couldn't see around the wings of the seat, but she didn't need to see to know that Jack was grinning madly and Daniel was probably shooting a desperate "Save me" glance at Teal'c.

There was a pause behind her as bags were shifted, and then Teal'c replied, his deep rumble unmistakable. "I believe Mindy was indeed most interested in inspecting Daniel Jackson," he said, without a hint of humor, but Sam imagined she could see a gleam in his eye. The back hatch slamming shut drowned out Daniel's inevitable protest, and Jack's gleeful reaction that Teal'c not only supported him, but also had picked up on the girl's name.

Around her, the other three doors opened and the men climbed in. "I'm not going back in there, Jack. Don't you think we've bought enough stuff for one day?" Daniel announced firmly in answer to something Jack had said that she'd missed but could easily guess.

"You're no fun," Jack whined, as he started the truck. "I'm sure Carter wouldn't mind if you went back in, right Carter?" he asked, momentarily forgetting the first name only rule.

Sam couldn't resist, and grinned while she shook her head. She laughed as Jack whooped, pounding the steering wheel and Daniel looked stricken. "Sam!" he protested, "I thought you'd be on my side!"

After some more good-natured teasing, everyone's spirits were lifted, and Jack finally changed the subject, to Daniel's relief. "Where to next?" he asked, twisting around to catch the other three in his sights.

Surprised, Sam looked up. "We're not going back to base?" she asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

Jack frowned. "We could, if that's what you want, but I was thinking we could stop and get something to eat first," he suggested, eyebrow raised and inviting comment.

"That is most agreeable," approved Teal'c immediately.

"I could eat," added Daniel. The three looked at Sam.

"Sounds good to me," she said with a shrug. Thinking about it, she was glad their little scare today hadn't made the three men hustle her right back to the mountain. She also felt she could not only stand a little more exposure out and in public, but that she needed a little more time away from those places of security. At least in a restaurant, they would be seated, and she wouldn't have to worry about getting lost or separated in the crowds. She knew she'd have to get used to being small, but the day had been tiring so far and she was ready to sit down and relax for a little while.

Beating a little tattoo on the steering wheel, Jack looked around as he asked, "Pizza ok? I've heard this sweet little shop opened not far from base, good food, relaxed dining, and reasonable prices."

After another round of affirmatives, they were on their way.

Soon, they pulled up at the restaurant, and Sam realized she'd heard of the place as well. Like the Colonel, she too had wanted to try it out. She got out of the truck and walked with her team, the three men circling her but including her in their gentle banter. It was familiar, SG-1 familiar, and like a balm, soothing on her psyche. Muscles she hadn't even known were tense started to relax.

Walking in the big double doors, the team was greeted by the delicious smells of baking pizza. Deep booths lined the walls, and tables were set in the middle under warm ambient lighting. As a further touch, candles glowed from tabletops and tasteful posters adorned the walls. Popular music played softly from hidden speakers.

"Party of four?" a woman wearing an apron greeted them as they walked in.

"Please," Daniel replied, with a smile that the hostess returned. As the woman walked ahead, carrying their menus, Jack elbowed the younger man in the ribs. "Don't start Jack," Daniel hissed warningly.

"Start?" Jack asked innocently, "I'm not starting anything," he denied. Sam giggled and Daniel rolled his eyes as they arrived at their table, the woman placing their menus on the table as they sat down.

"'I'll be right back to get your drink orders," she told them as she turned away.

Sam realized that the woman had placed a child's menu in front of her, the colorful paper placemat covered in games mixed with pictures of kid-friendly menu items, coming complete with a packet of crayons. She turned in her seat to ask for a regular menu, but the waitress was already at another table.

"You ok, Sam?" Daniel asked from her left, looking up from his own menu.

She sighed, turning back around in her chair. "She gave me a kids' menu."

Across the table, Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "That's because you are a kid," he reminded her pointedly.

Sam flushed, looking down at the table and fiddling with her silverware packet. "You can look at my menu if you want," Daniel offered, and Sam gave him a smile, more than a little preoccupied.

"Actually, I was thinking we could just get a pizza for all of us," Jack suggested instead.

"An extra large with additional pepperoni?" asked Teal'c.

"Sounds good," agreed Daniel quickly.

"Yeah, ok," sighed Sam, still focused on the tabletop.

"You know, if you aren't going to use that menu, I'll use it," Jack told her, a hint of a smile lurking at the corners of his lips.

Sam looked up skeptically. "Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes really," he replied cheerfully, spearing the paper placemat with his forefinger and turning it around so he could read the words printed on it. "I mean, who wouldn't want to help Jane find the right spaghetti noodle to lead her to the meatball?" he asked teasingly.

With a snicker, Sam slid the crayon packet across the table. "Knock your self out," she told him.

By the time the waitress returned to take their orders, Jack had managed to cajole Teal'c into a game of tic-tac-toe. The woman looked only mildly surprised at Sam's request for a diet cola, and promised to be back soon with their pizza.

"She likes you, Daniel," Jack announced, marking an X in the grid he'd drawn on the back of the menu. He groaned, as Teal'c marked his move, drawing a line through three neat O's.

Daniel ignored the dig, and instead observed, "You know, I thought it was impossible to lose at a game of tic-tac-toe."

"I let him win," Jack defended himself. When Teal'c looked disbelieving, doubtfully raising one eyebrow, he added, "It was his first game." Sam giggled, and Jack pointed a finger at her. "Ah! No giggling!"

She was saved from a response as their drinks arrived. Their pizza was not far behind. It was hot, filling and delicious. Sam found herself full before she'd finished her second, albeit large, slice even though normally she was able to eat more, especially after a busy day like today had been. No one seemed to find it unusual though as she pushed her less than empty plate away.

After they'd paid the bill and were getting up to leave, the waitress stopped by one last time. "I hope you enjoyed your meal," she told them with a smile. Everyone offered his or her thanks for the good meal and friendly service, including Sam. Then the woman surprised her by leaning over quickly and smiling broadly. "Ooh, you are just too cute. And so polite! I'd love to take you home with me, you could teach my little boy some manners!"

Sam was too startled to make a reply. It had been a long time since someone had told her how adorable she was! She made no protest when Jack guided her out ahead of him, one hand on her back.

Above her head, she heard Daniel tell Jack, "See, it was really all about Sam."

"Chicks dig guys with kids," Jack countered.

Daniel threw his hands up. "I give up! You're hopeless!" he complained. Sam laughed, but her laugh was interrupted by a huge yawn. Luckily, they had reached the truck, and Jack pulled the door open as he passed, as if sensing her fatigue. Another huge yawn felt like it was splitting her face in two as tired fingers fumbled with the still unfamiliar connections. She still managed to get situated though as the rest of the guys buckled up.

As the truck pulled out of the parking lot Sam reflected on the events of the day, laying her head tiredly back against the headrest. Despite her earlier doubts and worries, she had been able to grow more comfortable with the major changes she'd undergone. She was more confident that with the help of her team, she'd be able to take on her role in the upcoming mission. Night had fallen while they'd eaten, and idly, Sam watched the passing flashes of light from storefront, streetlamp and headlight. The motion of the vehicle was hypnotic and soothing combined with the familiar rise and fall of her teammate's voices. After a brief battle to stay alert, Sam gave in to the demands of her body, her eyes sliding closed. Just for a minute, she promised herself. It was her last coherent thought that night.

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but life's been hectic. I've been trying to find the time to post this chapter for days now. As always, thanks for your comments. I love to hear from all of you._


	7. A GOOD Plan

Chapter 7: A GOOD Plan

As Jack parked, Daniel looked over at his sleeping teammate. In sleep, her face was relaxed, without trace of the anxieties and worries of day-to-day life as an adult. It was easy to forget that she only looked five.

"Sam, hey, wake up. We're here," he called softly, reluctant to wake her, but knowing she'd probably rather go back inside under her own steam. In the field, she would have woken instantly, alert for danger or ready to take over her turn on watch. Now, she didn't even stir. He looked up and caught Jack watching him over the seat. He shrugged helplessly. "I think she's good and out," he reported.

"O'Neill, shall I assist Major Carter inside?" Teal'c offered, also peering over the back of the seat.

Jack shook his head. "No, Teal'c, I got her," he answered, unclipping his belt and sliding out of the truck. Daniel and Teal'c did the same, the two men coming around to the other side. Daniel watched as Jack frowned over the booster seat restraints.

"You know, this thing really _is_ a pain in the… mikta," the man complained, finally freeing the small occupant. A faint frown had appeared on the sleeping face, but otherwise, she showed no signs of waking up. Jack reached in, scooping her up and settling her so her head rested on his shoulder with practiced ease. Sam sighed, shifting so that Daniel could see her face, and then relaxed, body going boneless in sleep in the way that only children seemed to possess. Daniel blinked in surprise.

"Hunh," Jack grunted, turning away so that Teal'c could close the door. "I always thought only kids could sleep like that. Maybe it's physical?" he wondered, voicing the thought Daniel had just been thinking. Teal'c looked interested, as they walked back on base and Jack continued his speculations. "You three were the same way," he observed. "Couldn't take you guys anywhere. As soon as the engine started, you guys fell asleep," he complained, his tone teasing as Daniel held the door open. "Come to think of it," Jack added, "Charlie was much the same way."

Teal'c nodded as he stopped at the security checkpoint, presenting his ID. "Indeed, Rya'c was greatly alike," he commented, a distant but fond look on his face. Daniel smiled, digging out his own card and retrieving Sam's from her back pocket, Jack got his after leaning his burden on the counter to free one hand.

After they'd cleared security, Daniel led the way to Sam's quarters, using her card to unlock the door. He opened the door, flipping on the lights and leaving her ID where she'd see it when she woke up. Teal'c pulled down the covers, and Jack laid his slumbering passenger on the bed. He expertly removed the small pair of shoes, but stopped at that.

"Don't think Carter will appreciate it if we change her into something more comfortable," he said, pulling the covers up into place.

"No," agreed Daniel, "She'll probably be embarrassed enough as it is."

The three men retreated to the hall, Teal'c turning off the lights and pulling the door shut behind them. "What was that, earlier, right after we got to Target?" Jack asked as they headed away from the room. "Carter looked a little freaked out."

Daniel wondered if he should tell them, but then decided that it wouldn't hurt if the rest of the team were a little more sensitive to the adjustments Sam was trying to make, Jack in particular. "She was a little overwhelmed by how much bigger everything seemed." he said. "You know, we're all fairly tall. It's easy for us to take for granted the little things, like being able to reach something on a shelf, or simply get in and out of the truck."

"Major Carter is very independent." Teal'c observed, his gaze thoughtful.

"And she's just been thrust into a role where she's expected to be helpless and need assistance with just about everything," Jack added. "She's not used to acting that way, and I'm sure that little incident at the store didn't help matters much." He shook his head slowly. "Is it just me, or do you think Carter's going to have a tough time acting out her part in this mission?"

"Well, at least most people won't look beyond her appearance," Daniel pointed out.

Jack nodded, but it was clear that he was thinking of something else. "She's going to be around people that will be looking deeper though. They might find she's a bit odd for five," he said, putting it mildly.

"I'm sure she's already thinking about that, Jack," Daniel returned, as the three men paused at the intersecting corridor that would lead them to their separate quarters.

"Will Major Carter not make the best efforts to remain unobtrusive?" asked Teal'c, looking from one man to the other.

"She'll do her best, yeah, but this is _Carter_ we're talking about here." Jack shrugged, as if that explained everything.

"What are you trying to say, Jack?" Daniel asked, rubbing his forehead wearily, too tired to try and figure out what his friend was trying to tell them in his round about way.

The other man shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm just saying that maybe we need to help her work on her cover."

Daniel exchanged a look with Teal'c. "What do you mean?" he asked warily, eyes narrowed slightly.

Jack looked thoughtful, and then surprised them both when he smiled brightly. "Oh, I might have a plan," he hinted, and turned away. "Look, I think I'll turn in. We can get the stuff that's needed out of the truck in the morning. I'll see you two tomorrow, keep your day open," he called, with a careless wave over his shoulder.

Daniel groaned as the other man walked away. "Teal'c, why do I get the feeling that Sam isn't going to like this plan of Jack's?"

Teal'c tilted his head, showing his agreement. "Indeed my friend. We had best accompany them both. Goodnight Daniel Jackson."

"Night Teal'c," he replied distractedly, brow still slightly furrowed, and decided the other two had the right idea. Bed sounded like a good plan. He had a feeling he'd need all the rest he could get to be ready for whatever it was Jack had in store for them tomorrow.

Awakening in her quarters left Sam with a feeling of disorientation that she hadn't felt since that time on P3X-595 where she had drunk that stuff that made her… Well to say the least, she had the same feeling of waking up with no recollection of how she had gotten there. At least this time, she didn't feel like her head was about to explode. The last thing she remembered was getting back in the truck with the guys after dinner. She remembered feeling very tired and as she pushed back the covers to find herself fully clothed, she colored as she realized that someone had likely carried her to her quarters.

Looking down at the wrinkled t-shirt she'd spent the previous day and night in, she changed quickly into the gray one. She'd have to get the clothes they'd bought yesterday out of the truck. Slipping her shoes on and pocketing the ID she found on her nightstand, she headed to the commissary. After getting breakfast, she found her way to Daniel's office again. The young man waved a distracted good morning to her, returning his nose to his text. She could hear him mumbling what sounded like French as he scribbled on his notepad. The title showed the book to be one about lesson plans.

Topping off Daniel's mug, Sam put on a new pot of coffee using the decaf grounds she found next to the machine. She had to stand on her toes and stretch to put the filter and grounds in and fill it with water. Soon though, she had her own mug, and settled down across from the archeologist to work on the things she'd brought with her.

Today though, they didn't have as much time to work. Jack appeared in the doorway about midmorning holding several bags. Teal'c stood behind him, holding another. "Here's your stuff Daniel," Jack greeted. "Carter, Teal'c and I already put your stuff in your quarters, if you want to go change before we leave," he suggested.

Putting down the latest data from the monitors on P62-45X left to observe the collapsing sun, Sam looked at her CO curiously. "Where are we going, sir?" she asked.

Jack just grinned and looked smug. "Out," he supplied unhelpfully.

Sam frowned, and Daniel rolled his eyes, loudly whispering to Sam so Jack could hear. "He has a _plan_," he said, marking his place in the textbook and standing up.

"A _good_ plan," Jack corrected cheerfully.

"We will have a most enjoyable day," supported Teal'c, looking keen to be off.

Daniel looked startled. "You told him, but you won't tell me?" he protested in a tone bordering on indignation.

"You would have told," Jack informed him with a knowing look.

"Would not!" came the inevitable protest.

Sam grinned, and slipped out of the room as the conversation rapidly degenerated. In her quarters, as promised, she found the bags of clothing. She quickly changed into fresh jeans and another t-shirt, wondering what the Colonel had planned as she laced up her new shoes. Jumping up, Sam headed back to find the guys, only to meet them halfway. The argument between the Colonel and Daniel was still going on, despite having undergone a change of subject. Currently, the younger man was waving his hands to illustrate some point.

Shaking her head in rueful amusement, she dropped back to walk with Teal'c. "Hey, Teal'c," she greeted.

"Major Carter," he returned. "I trust you rested well last night?"

She smiled. "It's Sam, remember? And yeah, last night was good. In fact, I don't remember sleeping so well in years," she told him honestly. Teal'c nodded, both at the reminder and the information. They passed through security to the elevator, all the guards greeting her by name and rank this time, completely unruffled it seemed by her appearance.

"So, where we going?" she asked, looking up at Teal'c when they were on their way again, trying to pump the large man for information.

"I have been sworn to secrecy," he answered solemnly, looking amused at her disappointment.

"It's a surprise!" admonished Jack, up ahead as they reached the truck. "You'll find out when we get there!" he promised, smiling winningly.

She shook her head slightly, unable to be too annoyed. Pulling open the door, Sam saw that the guys had also installed the new booster seat. This one was a medium blue with inserts of gray. It looked very stylish, but it was still a booster seat. Presumably, the awful pink one had been returned to Colonel Dixon. Despite the new seat and needing to make a few adjustments, Sam found it easy enough to strap herself in. And this seat at least didn't have any hidden surprises or sticky spots to find.

Sam turned her attention out the window, trying to guess where they were headed, as Jack and Daniel continued their banter. Even with her watching the way though, she was still surprised when Jack pulled into the nearby park, stopping in an empty place.

"We're heeerrre," the man announced cheerfully, unbuckling his seatbelt and out of the truck before Sam and the rest had even started to release their belts. It still seemed to take twice as long as normal for her to release herself from the seat. She jumped down finally, leaning back on her door to push it closed, and walked around to the back of the truck where Jack was already handing items to Teal'c and Daniel.

"You took us to the park?" she asked, leaving off the sir on the end at the last minute. Still, Jack must have heard it, because he turned his full attention on her.

"Yes, Sam," he answered with only light emphasis. "Now, make yourself useful, and grab that last bag. I think that's everything. That tree looks like a good place, let's go," he ordered, heading off with a cooler in his hands. Teal'c followed readily with a canvas knapsack. Sam wondered when the Colonel had had the time to put this trip together. Daniel looked equally bewildered as he held a plastic bag with what looked like disposable plates and cups in it. He waited until she'd boosted herself half into the back of the truck to snag the requested bag. After she'd slithered back out, Daniel pulled the hatch down, shutting it.

"Sam! Daniel! What's keeping you two? I need that bag Sam! Hop to it, on the double!" shouted Jack, his hands cupped around his mouth. With a quick look at each other the two hastened to join the rest of the team. Jack and Teal'c had claimed an area underneath the large tree; it's leaves and thick branches shaded the grass beneath it from some of the late August heat.

Taking the bag as she arrived, Jack pulled out a folded gray military blanket. With a flourish, he shook it open, spreading it on the ground. "Take a seat you two, lunch is served," he announced as Teal'c opened the cooler and started to hand out sandwiches and drinks. Daniel reached into the bag he'd carried and passed around plates and napkins. Sam settled on one corner of the blanket, surprised to realize she was hungry. Everyone dug in, Jack had brought more than enough to go around.

After lunch, The Colonel looked at her. "Well, now the real reason we're here," he said. "Carter… Sam… it's time you start thinking about acting like a kid," he told her seriously.

"Actually, I've already been thinking about that, s-Jack," she admitted, stammering slightly and just managing not to blush.

The man looked pleased and surprised. "Great! Than you won't have a problem with what I'm about to tell you." He pointed to the nearby playground, where kids of various ages could be heard shrieking in glee. "Go. Play. I don't want to see you back here for at least thirty minutes."

Sam blinked in surprise. "You're kidding right?" she asked in disbelief. Even Daniel looked taken aback.

"Nope," Jack answered surely.

Teal'c stood up. "I will accompany you, Samantha. If I recall, you took great enjoyment pushing Cassandra on the swings when she was younger," he explained to her startled look.

"You want to push me on the swings?" Sam asked dubiously, her disbelief only growing.

"An excellent idea," Jack approved, and turned to dig in the bag Teal'c had carried, emerging with a bright blue disc. "While you two kids have fun on the swings, Daniel and I are gonna toss the Frisbee around."

"Jack!" Daniel objected, and Sam realized that the Colonel had distracted the younger man on purpose.

With a sigh, she got up and followed Teal'c. The big man looked downright eager to check out the playground. Trudging in his wake, by the time she reached the playground, he'd already selected an empty swing. He stood behind it waiting for her. Nearby, a woman pushed a young boy that looked to be about the same age as Sam looked.

Stopping in front of the swing, she looked up uncertainly. "You sure about this Teal'c?" she asked. When Teal'c nodded, she turned around, and seated herself, hands automatically gripping the chain. "Wow," she commented. "It's been a long time since I've sat in one of these."

"Are you prepared, Samantha?" Teal'c asked, and she nodded. At her nod, the man pulled her back and up, and then he let go.

Sam yelped involuntarily as she experienced the long forgotten sensation of plummeting. Before she knew it, she felt the slight jerk that signaled the end of the arc, and she was swinging backwards. She felt Teal'c grab the swing, stopping her motion.

"Are you well, Samantha?" he asked quickly in concern. "It was not my intention to startle you," he apologized.

"It wasn't you Teal'c, it just surprised me is all." She shook her head slightly. "It really has been a long time," she admitted again.

"Very well," he replied. "Shall we resume?" he asked, and Sam nodded. This time, he did not release her as high, and Sam felt his hands against her back as she completed the first full swing. As she made a second arc, she remembered how to lean and kick, her body already moving instinctively in the once familiar motions. She had loved the swings as a child. Thinking about it, she'd always wanted to fly, and swinging had seemed the closest thing at the time.

"You can push me higher, Teal'c," she requested as she swung back after a third, really tame arc. The man replied by pushing her much more firmly. As she swung, the air whistling through her hair, she was surprised by the laugh that bubbled across her lips. Teal'c seemed to find her response encouraging, because when she swung back again, she felt his hands meet her back with even more strength than the last push. Another laugh joined the first, and Sam closed her eyes, leaning back as the swing went into its forward sweep. It really had been a long time!

As she swung backwards, Sam enjoyed the almost weightless feeling and the memories it brought back. Behind her she heard a sudden, heavy step, as if someone had stumbled, and then Teal'c's hands met her back with surprising force. Startled, Sam's eyes snapped open as she slid to the edge of her seat and lost her grip on the right hand chain. Before she could reestablish her hold, the swing jerked as it reached the end of the frontward arch, and Sam slipped off the seat as the swing went in one direction and she another, losing her grasp on the remaining chain. With a cry, Sam looked down to find the ground rushing up at her with terrifying speed.

_A/N: Look! Another evil cliffie! Muahahahahah!_


	8. A Small Accident

Chapter 8: A Small Accident Chapter 8: A Small Accident

Sam groaned, lying still as she ascertained the extent of her injuries. She'd hit the ground hard, and skidded at least several inches before training kicked in and she'd turned the graceless slide into a roll, ending up sprawled on her stomach. Nothing felt broken, but several points radiated a raw, fiery pain, and an odd breezy feeling around her knees told her without even looking that the material there was likely torn. Her knees were one of the areas giving off pain signals, but she didn't think they were damaged seriously.

"Major Carter!" Teal'c was already by her side, forgetting her public name as he gently turned her over.

"Ow," she said reflexively, more from surprise than from any pain. She reflexively drew her right arm against her body, fingers encountering tender, raw skin, though not the tacky sensation of bleeding. Her knees were another story though, and she winced as she saw the oozing visible through the nearly identical tears in her jeans.

Teal'c of course took immediate note of the gaping material and blood as well the way she had supported her arm. "You are injured," he declared, and then before she could protest, slid his arms around her, scooping her up off the ground and cradling her carefully against his broad chest.

"Teal'c! Ow, what are you doing?" she complained automatically. "I can walk, I'm fine. It's just scrapes and a few bruises, that's all." But her objections fell on deaf ears. Teal'c's face was grim as he jogged back over to where the rest of SG-1 was tossing the Frisbee back and forth. Sam dropped her head against the man's large muscled shoulder with a sigh as he shouted to alert the other men. "O'Neill, come quickly," he called, making a beeline toward some nearby picnic tables. "Major Carter is injured!"

The Frisbee flew ignored over Daniel's head as both men came running. They arrived as Teal'c settled her on the tabletop like she was something fragile that might break even more. "I'll get the first aid kit," cried Daniel, and Jack tossed him the keys without breaking stride.

"I'm fine, I just scraped my knees and bruised my arm, nothing terrible," Sam protested as Jack arrived at the table, but the Colonel had a no-nonsense look in his eyes that she recognized all too well.

"Let me be the judge of that," he told her gruffly. "Now, where does it hurt?" he demanded.

She sighed in defeat. "Knees, my right arm, and left palm," she reported resignedly. Jack made a quick but thorough assessment of each of the problem areas, making her demonstrate range of motion before he agreed with her early evaluation. Teal'c hovered anxiously, and Daniel arrived panting as Jack straightened.

"Is she ok?" Daniel puffed out to Jack, clutching the emergency kit.

"I'm fine," Sam answered testily, "Thanks for asking me," she snapped, tired of being ignored and fussed over like she couldn't handle such minor injuries. She'd suffered much worse in the line of duty. They were all treating her like a, well, child. She regretted her sharp words instantly though as Daniel looked confused and a little guilty. Flushing, she looked down at her lap, biting her lower lip.

Jack gave her a curious look, and turned to Teal'c. "What happened, T?"

"I pushed Major Carter with more force than I intended, leading to her fall," Teal'c admitted remorsefully.

"Teal'c, you were supposed to push her _on_ the swing, not _off_ it," Jack answered automatically in exasperation. Teal'c nodded in agreement, looking thoroughly dejected.

"It wasn't his fault. Teal'c, I heard you stumble," Sam protested, lifting her head, feeling the need to defend the man and wanting to show him she didn't blame him for what had happened.

"Your fall would have been prevented had I acted with more care," Teal'c told her solemnly, brushing off her attempt at making him feel better.

Jack immediately looked regretful about his quick retort, and went to the man's side, clapping the man apologetically on the shoulder. "Teal'c buddy, accidents happen to the best of us," he said, turning the other man away from the group and leading him towards the picnic blanket, obviously intending to give the big guy a pep talk.

Sam lost the reply Teal'c made as they walked away. She looked down at her scraped palm with another sigh, trying to rub some of the grit out of the superficial scratches, wincing slightly as fingers came in contact with the tender skin there. Everything had been going so well, and just like that, it completely unraveled in one blink of the eye. She was starting to think it was a lot harder being a kid than any of them had imagined.

"Here, let me," spoke Daniel, taking the seat next to her legs and making her look up from her contemplations. He gathered her small hand in one of his; cleaning it carefully with the antiseptic towelette he'd taken from the kit. Despite his gentleness, she still hissed involuntarily as the tiny scrapes stung.

Daniel's head shot up. "Sorry," he told her, his blue eyes full of concern.

"I'm the one who's sorry Daniel," she told him as he started on the long raw contusion on the underside of her right arm. That injury, though minor, was still scratched and bruised and would probably be tender for a few days. She sucked in another breath at the sting the antiseptic caused in the abrasion, and then rushed on. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Looking up from her arm briefly and giving her a lopsided grin, he replied, "It's understandable." Setting the used wipes aside, Daniel opened some more, nimbly lifting the torn fabric of her jeans away from the wounds on her knees. The scrape on her right knee was still oozing sluggishly, while the one on the left had already formed a thin scab, both held bits of dirt and grit, and she knew Daniel would be meticulous in their care.

"Still," Sam argued, tying to ignore the minor discomforts as her teammate tended her small wounds, "I shouldn't have done it." She bit her lip, going stiff as he cleaned the deeper of the two scrapes. When he finished, he removed some band-aids from the kit, looking at her thoughtfully as he opened them, and then turned back to the kit and got out some antibiotic cream that he slathered generously on all open areas before he looked back up at her.

"We all have our moments Sam," he told her pointedly with impeccable logic. "I promise not to hold it against you, if you won't hold the next time I say something you don't like against me," he said, pointing out in his way that they'd both said or done things to the other over the years that they'd each regretted, and likely would in years to come. "Deal?" he asked, one eyebrow cocked as he offered her his hand.

She smiled in relief, some of the tension from earlier draining out of her small frame. "Deal," she replied, taking the hand with her uninjured one and giving it a firm shake. Daniel grinned as he put the band-aids in place on her knees and she grinned back as she hopped down from the table.

Gathering up the used supplies, Daniel tucked the kit under his arm and the two of them headed to where Teal'c and Jack had wandered over to retrieve the abandoned Frisbee.

Sam reacted instinctively as her commander expertly sent the disc flying in their direction, jumping up and catching the object before Daniel had time to react, encumbered as he was with the first aid kit. She reflexively sent it spinning back toward them but Teal'c moved to intercept. The big man had to take several quick steps forward to catch it first. By that time, Daniel had left the first aid kit with their belongings and waved open hands, and Teal'c sent the Frisbee flying towards the man. Daniel just barely missed the catch, and by the time he'd retrieved the disc, Jack had moved far enough away from Teal'c to present a new target.

They spent the better part of the next hour tossing the Frisbee around. Sam found she had to make adjustments for her current height, but discovered that strength didn't make a lot of difference in gaining the right trajectory and distance. It was all in the wrist after all. Her injuries were negligible and did nothing to hamper her game. As a soldier, she was used to carrying on with much worse.

When they grew tired of the game and headed back to their blanket under the tree, Jack surprised them all by pulling several magazines and journals out of the backpack. He had something for each of them. No one was close enough to their group to notice that what Sam read wasn't for children, the pages filled with text and long technical jargon specific to her chosen field.

As the afternoon waned and the surrounding shadows lengthened, Daniel suggested dinner, and Teal'c made a request to visit the local movie theatre afterwards. Gathering their belongings, Jack requested a minor detour before they left the park. A slight gleam in his eyes, the man led the group back to the playground. The piece of equipment he led them to was currently empty of children.

"Just one slide Sam," Jack said with a wave of his arm, "and we can go." When she hesitated, the older man grinned charmingly. "Oh c'mon, you know you want to. If I wasn't too big, I'd join you."

Sam looked from the slide and back to her CO, who was practically glowing with boyish exuberance. The unusually long metal slide was built into a steep, natural slope. She vaguely remembered a similar slide near one of the bases she'd lived at as a child. In the end, she decided she had nothing to lose, and giving in would satisfy her commander much easier than an argument. She climbed the ladder, and after seating herself at the top, gave a push to get her going.

She'd never admit to anyone, but the slide had been another of her favorites when smaller, the longer and steeper the better. And so she was somewhat disappointed when her downward motion was sluggish, and she got partially stuck halfway, having to wriggle and rock her body to get herself all the way down where she got stuck again near the bottom. She decided to stand up and walk down the last few feet, jumping off at the end and dusting the seat of her pants.

Climbing the hill, Sam tried to hide her mild disappointment, after all the guys didn't need any further ammo. "It's filthy," she reported. "Kids must have been dumping sand on it and it hasn't rained enough to clear it." Despite her attempts, a note of complaint had crept into her voice.

Jack just grunted, squatting to dig for something in the backpack. "Here it is," he announced triumphantly, his hand emerging from the bag with a terry hand towel. "Go down sitting on this once or twice," he said, somehow making the suggestion sound like an order. Sam frowned slightly and Daniel looked surprised. Teal'c watched in open curiosity.

Saying nothing, Sam accepted the towel dubiously, and mounted the slide again. The second slide was much like the first, but when she looked up after reaching the bottom she could see metal shining through the dirty coating in a child sized track down the center of the slide. She shook the towel out, and trotted back, climbing the ladder again under her teammate's interested gazes. Honestly, she wasn't sure what was motivating her.

The second time with the towel had her moving much faster, and she made it all the way to the bottom in one smooth motion. This time when she rejoined her team she couldn't completely hide the slightly accomplished smile she gave them, and Jack presented her with something else he'd discovered in the bag, taking back the towel. "Here, try this," he suggested, a twinkle in his eye.

Sam held up the slightly wrinkled square, recognizing it as one of the wrappers from their lunch. "Wax paper?" she asked in puzzlement.

Jack just grinned. "You'll see," he answered, obviously amused she didn't immediately see the plan.

Her forehead wrinkled, Sam decided to keep humoring the man, sensing again that arguing would only prolong their stay. Once more, Sam went down the slide, this time on the paper. The paper seemed to slow her momentum slightly, but she was beginning to get an inkling of what the Colonel intended. To her teammate's obvious amusement she made a second run, like she'd done with the towel, and saw to her satisfaction that the clear path she'd made with her trips now gleamed in the late afternoon sun.

When she'd rejoined her team at the top of the slide, Jack held out a hand for the wax paper, unable to completely hide a faint look of wistfulness. While the slide was wide for someone at Sam's current size, it was on the narrow side for a full-grown adult body. "Ok, Sam, just one more time, and we can go if you want," he promised, his gaze moving nostalgically to the slide.

Sam wrinkled her nose, but she wasn't about to tell him that she'd intended to go at least once more. After all, why do all the work cleaning the slide if she didn't intend to use it again? This time, the trip was much more satisfying, and she rocketed down the slide, instinctively holding her hands out to the sides to better feel the wind rush around her body. She came flying off the end, expertly landing on her feet and knowing she was grinning but not caring. She jogged back, and without saying anything, climbed the ladder again. Her team was no doubt staring at her in astonishment, but the thought of one more trip was too tempting to resist. Besides, the slide really brought back a lot of memories, which would no doubt be helpful in developing the role she was to play on the upcoming mission. At least that's what she told herself as she whooshed past her stunned teammates.

"You sure you don't want to go down once more?" Jack asked temptingly when she'd rejoined them and started toward the truck rather than back to the slide. Sam couldn't resist one last look at the slide, hesitating. Several children, attracted by her repeated trips on the slide had lined up for their turns, and one child was already speeding gleefully downward. "We can wait," he further tempted, all three men looking amused.

"Well, ok," Sam agreed, pretending reluctance, and jogging over to join the rapidly growing line before she could change her mind. The third trip was just as exhilarating as the others had been, perhaps even faster as the ramp had been cleared even further from the additional bodies using it. Still… "Let's go guys, I'm starving," she announced as she returned to the rest of her group. They headed back towards the parking lot.

Looking over his shoulder at the now popular attraction behind them, Daniel frowned slightly. "Jack, I can't believe you had Sam wax the slide," he said, shifting the bag he carried.

Jack just shrugged, "We used to do it all the time with bread wrappers when my brothers and I were kids."

"Only you, Jack," Daniel muttered, "Only you."

"What?" protested the older man automatically with a slightly reflective look, "The other kids loved it," he defended.

"It seems a most enjoyable activity," observed Teal'c thoughtfully.

Sam smiled, suddenly feeling absurdly pleased with the outcome of the day despite it's few ups and downs… literally! "Oh, it is Teal'c," she told the big man truthfully, and Teal'c inclined his head towards her in acknowledgement.

"More fun than swinging?" asked Jack cheerfully, pouncing on her admission.

"Maybe," answered Sam somewhat sheepishly, ducking her head and entwining her arms and fingers with a little shrug as they came to a halt by the truck.

There was some more good-natured teasing as they loaded up the truck and drove to a nearby restaurant, but Sam didn't really mind. After all, how could she take it personally when the Colonel seemed to genuinely think they should build a playground big enough for adults to join in on? And then Daniel had added that he thought such an idea would be greatly popular among military families especially. Teal'c had joined in with comments about a place he'd read about in Baltimore, where the multi-story indoor gymnasium was built large enough that parents were actually encouraged to enter it with their children. The drive seemed much shorter with the spirited discussion, and even Sam found herself contributing to the conversation as they pulled up outside their destination.

This time at the restaurant, she didn't protest being given the kid's menu, and even played one of the games with Daniel who was sitting across the table from her. Teal'c, seated beside her, made sure he held his menu so that she could look it as well, but she surprised all of them when she ordered something from her own menu.

"I probably wouldn't be able to finish the full sized meal anyway," she explained with a half shrug after the waitress left to put in their requests. She took a sip of her diet coke as the guys blinked, and conversation resumed.

After their meal, they headed to the theatre. Looking over the various attractions showing, Sam and Teal'c both gravitated towards a poster for a recently released action packed blockbuster. Trailing behind them, Jack coughed, and tapped a finger against the glass, drawing their attention to the R-rating for excessive violence as well as language and sexual scenes. Sam colored as she realized that it might look a little odd for a five year old to attend the show. Not that it was unheard of, but none of them wanted to give that sort of impression.

Daniel pointed to an alternate show that Jack immediately rejected as being too dull. After a few more ideas, they finally all agreed on a comedy with a family friendly rating.

Stopping at the concession stand, they picked up popcorn, drinks, and candy. Sam reluctantly asked for ice water and eschewed the candy, deciding to heed Janet's warning about consuming too much caffeine and sugar.

As the movie played though, she wished she'd at least gotten a soda. Despite the amusing nature of the film, the dark theatre made her sleepy. Before long, fatigue won out and she fell asleep, her head resting against Teal'c's arm. She barely registered when the lights came up, only managing to protest sleepily when Teal'c gathered her up. Her objection proved pointless when she couldn't even hold her own head up, letting it rest against Teal'c as she dozed on the walk back to the truck. She roused enough to help the man with the booster seat restraints, and promptly fell back to sleep.

This time, when they got back to base, Sam woke, and was able to follow the guys in under her own power despite needing a little help from Daniel to untangle herself from the seat, limbs uncooperative with unaccustomed fatigue. General Hammond met them as they got off the elevator, looking like he was on his way out. His sharp eyes roved over each of them automatically, taking in their appearance as if to check for injury or anything amiss. His eyes lingered on her torn and dirty jeans, but he seemed satisfied when none of them looked worried or more than tired.

"SG-1," he greeted them. "I'm glad I caught you. I've been meaning to let you know that I've asked Sergeant Nichols to help Dr. Jackson and Major Carter with their cover stories. The Sergeant has some experience teaching elementary school students from her internship before she decided to enlist full time in the Air Force. I've relieved Sergeant Nichols of her regular duties so she can devote herself full time to your mission."

"So she can work with Carter in the morning while Daniel is in his faculty meeting tomorrow, and help Daniel when his meeting is over," Jack summarized quickly.

"Exactly," Hammond agreed. "Good night people," he told them and SG-1 returned the greeting as Hammond stepped into the elevator.

Jack looked around at the rest of the team. "Daniel, if it's ok with you, Teal'c and I can drop you off tomorrow, so we can get a look at the school, as long as you don't mind walking a block or so. Carter can come with when we pick you up after she's done with her morning session with Sergeant Nichols."

Everyone agreed and then split up going their separate ways, and Sam took herself to her quarters, barely managing to change before she fell into bed.

A/N: So, how do you like SG-1's coping so far? As always, any feedback greatly appreciated!


	9. A Little Reconnaissance

Chapter 9: A Little Reconnaissance

The following morning Sam spent working with Sergeant Nichols, getting a crash course in normal childhood development. They would be concentrating on skills of children just entering school, everything including cognitive development, motor skills, and even language use, covering just what things she would be expected to know and reviewing the curriculum taught in most kindergarten classes. While Sam knew that any accidental slips on her part would likely be ignored given her appearance, she still wanted to avoid drawing unwanted attention to herself, either for being perceived as especially gifted, or for not showing the proper grasp of necessary concepts. At least at first, she and the rest of SG-1 had decided she should try to be just another average five year old, with nothing to make her stick out from the other students in the class.

Colonel O'Neill found her sometime after lunch. Sitting on the floor in her quarters, she called automatically for the person knocking to enter. "It's unlocked," she said, focused on one sneaker clad foot pulled up in reach as she frowned in concentration at the seemingly elaborate knot she was tying.

"Carter?" Jack asked, staring down at her in puzzlement.

She looked up from her shoe. "Oh, hello, sir," she greeted distractedly, returning to the task at hand. "I'll be ready in just a minute," she told him.

Watching her for a few moments, Jack continued to frown. "You having a little trouble there Major?" he asked finally.

Having just tied a large, sloppy bow she looked up at him and blinked in surprise as if she had just realized he'd been watching the entire time. "Uh, no, sir," she answered hastily untying the messy knot. Efficiently, she tied the knot correctly and tightly, getting to her feet. "Sergeant Nichols told me I was tying my shoes too fast and too neatly for someone who probably just learned how to tie their own shoes. She wanted me to practice," Sam admitted sheepishly. "Is it time to go get Daniel?" she asked, changing the subject as she brushed imaginary dirt off her cargo pants. She'd chosen to wear her simulated uniform having taken some time that morning to attach her rank and unit patches.

Slipping off the slightly oversized button down shirt and draping it over a chair, she decided that the plain black tee underneath, unmarked cargo pants, and plain blue and white tennis shoes were non-descript enough, despite the fact that no one would likely think she was doing anything more than "dressing up" like someone in the Air Force. Jack had no doubt agreed with civilian dress, having already changed into loafers, khakis, and a plain blue polo shirt. While he'd never be able to fully hide the air of military bearing in or out of uniform, Colorado Springs was a military town. If you weren't active or inactive military, you likely knew or lived near someone that was.

"Ah," Jack replied to her explanation, and then shrugged it off. "If we leave now, we'll have a little time to wander around the school while we wait for Daniel," he explained. "Teal'c has a class to run for the latest recruits right now, but he got a good look this morning. The grounds are pretty large."

Sam nodded and the two of them made their way out to the surface. She only received a few surprised or curious looks from personnel that hadn't been there over the weekend, but most everyone treated her like normal, seemingly nonplussed to be giving the respect her rank garnered to what appeared to be a five year old child.

After she'd strapped herself in, the booster seat straps and buckles seemingly almost second nature now, they were on their way. When the Colonel pulled onto the school grounds, she looked out the window in surprise. "Wow," she breathed. She'd expected big, having done a bit of her own research, but seeing the place in person showed the school resembled something much akin to a college campus. Of course, considering it was a school for pre kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade, it would have to be fairly large.

"Yeah," Jack agreed from the front seat, guiding the vehicle along the long horseshoe driveway that looped around in front of a sprawling two-story brownstone building. Trees lined the path on either side of the drive, and landscaped gardens surrounded the building. To one side, trees created a shady, manicured wooded area, and in the distance behind the school she could see several well-maintained athletic fields near what appeared to be a large gymnasium, and many other free-standing buildings, their purpose not clear from her current vantage point. A large playground could also be seen not far from the largest building, the brownstone at the top of the drive, containing an extensive custom jungle gym complete with several slides, a miniature rock wall, and assorted other usual playground equipment. The location of the playground told her that the nearby building probably housed the classrooms for the younger students, which had the largest number of students per class. Class sizes shrunk somewhat for the higher grades, which was not all that unusual given that tuition also went up, a practice typical in most private schools of the like. A groundskeeper was running a lawn mower over the already neatly trimmed lawn, and several gardeners could be seen pulling weeds or trimming shrubs. It was clear from the outside at least that this school did not lack for funding.

"Teal'c and I think you and Daniel will be in that main building at the top of the drive Aside from the entrance in the front of the building, we found one on each side and two in the back," Jack told her over the seat. "We didn't get a chance to get inside, but we figured Daniel could give us the low-down tonight, the faculty meeting is in there." He slowed down and stopped at the opposite end of the drive, waving one hand back in the direction of some of the other buildings visible. "At least one of those outbuildings is a gymnasium, another is a library and multi-media center. The rest seem to be for the older students, and one is for the after hours daycare." Jack looked over the seat at her and she nodded, eager to get out for a closer look.

As if sensing her thoughts, Jack turned back out onto the main street, driving about a block or so and made another turn onto a shady residential street where he finally parked. "Daniel is going to meet us back here," he said, turning off the engine. The street was quiet, most people absent at work or on vacation the last week before school started.

Sam nodded, unbuckling her harness. "I've got topographical and detailed maps of the campus and found blueprints online this morning," she told him, jumping down out of the truck. "Walter is enlarging them for us, they should be ready tonight or tomorrow."

"Sweet," Jack replied, as they headed back towards the school. He didn't ask how she'd managed to obtain the schematics, and she was glad not to have to tell him. Going through the proper channels would have taken more time than they could afford as well as alerting the wrong people, who would have questioned the Air Force's interest in the school. Besides, she was confident that she had left no trace of her snooping at the architectural firm's system, and even if they had detected her intrusion, they'd never trace the signal back to her through the false trail she'd laid on a number of worldwide servers using the encryption program she'd written for just such a purpose.

The two officers strolled casually around the school grounds, and Sam made note of the various buildings and the exits the Colonel had mentioned as well as the fire escapes and any ground floor windows that might be used as entry or exit points. Jack also pointed out a chute above a dumpster in the back of the two story building. As an entry, the shaft looked to be too steep without the right climbing apparatus, but a slender adult or a child would easily fit in the case of a speedy retreat. Not that it would be very pleasant, but it was worth making a mental note while on their tour.

During the walk, the two slipped almost subconsciously into familiar roles, military training and years of working as a tight knit unit coming to bear as they analyzed and discussed landmarks, seeming to forget her current appearance. They began to put forth measures and counter-measures for possible attack and defense around the school, suggesting scenarios in a manner they'd done as SG-1 hundreds of times over the years before embarking on missions. At first, everything seemed typical, but so subtly Sam almost missed it, her CO began to become more detached. More than once, Sam caught the man glancing sideways at her, his expression hidden behind his dark glasses and low brimmed ball cap. She became aware of a gradual tension beginning to emanate from the man. On the surface, he acted as always, often inserting comments or jokes as usual into their discussions on strategy and counter-strategy. Outwardly, he seemed normal, so Sam wasn't sure she was reading him correctly, despite their long history together. For now, she chose to respond in kind, with her normal cool professionalism.

They widened their circle on a second circuit, studying the fences and making note of the two parking lots and their separate entrances. A third lot out of sight and screened by trees housed a utility shed and several maintenance vehicles. A large gate opened onto a back access road. They discovered a few out of the way places where SGC teams might be able to set up surveillance on the school, keeping an eye on comings and goings, and be able to respond quickly if she Daniel, or Teal'c set off the discreet emergency transmitters they'd be carrying, not wanting to risk much else.

Large athletic fields were scattered around the campus buildings, creating large open, flat areas that might be difficult to cross undetected, but were often broken up or separated by well-placed trees and hedges. Bleachers and seating added further places of concealment, for either friend or foe. Sam was already mapping out in her head the places, comparing them to the maps and prints she'd studied last night. SG-1 would have to spend some time going over the detailed printouts together, but when she looked up to say as much to her commander, she found him studying the back of the large lower school building, his mouth set in a grim line, and turned away, keeping her own counsel. Something was definitely bugging the man, but she decided now wasn't the time to find out. Nor was she sure it was her place to do so.

As they completed the second circuit, the meeting must have been breaking up because groups of people carrying notebooks or briefcases left the building by the side exit heading for the staff lot. They rounded the building where a few individuals left by the front door taking rides, and by silent agreement they both headed toward the front gate. No one seemed to think the two of them odd, in fact they'd seen several children playing on the playground watched by two women, and several older teens were using one of the tennis courts. In their civilian dress, no one paid them any mind.

Arriving on the tree-lined street where they'd left the SUV they quickly spotted Daniel, who stood leaning casually against a nearby light pole. He waved when he saw them.

The Colonel unlocked the truck and they all climbed in. "You should probably get your own ride to school from now on," Jack stated as he started the engine.

"Yeah, probably," agreed Daniel. "The General said I could borrow a car." The younger man was startled suddenly when he yawned.

"Long day?" asked the Colonel, noting how the other man shifted in his seat, as if trying to ease cramped muscles.

"Tell me about it," agreed Daniel. "All morning in meetings where I felt like half the discussions were over my head. Do you have any idea how tedious it is just to arrange chaperone duty so that around five to six hundred kids can eat lunch?"

Jack just grinned, his body relaxing, and Sam started to wonder if she'd only imagined the earlier tension she'd felt from the Colonel. "Now you know how I feel at briefings Danny-boy."

Daniel straightened and narrowed his gaze at the other man. "Hey! Now what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded a little defensively.

"You know what I mean," replied the older man uncooperatively.

In the back seat, Sam smiled ruefully and turned her attention out the window as the conversation in front rapidly degenerated, distracting her from her earlier musings. Honestly, sometimes the two men were just way too predictable. Sometimes she wondered how they'd never resorted to physical battles, but then she knew that just wasn't their way, the seemingly heated debates were just their way of blowing off steam. She also knew that Daniel often gave as good as he got, and if he wasn't up for a little verbal sparring with their team leader, he only had to ignore the other man's goading. The reality that he seldom did told her that Daniel enjoyed the matches as much as Jack did. In fact, the seemingly constant but generally good-natured bickering was one thing she'd missed most about Daniel's long absence the previous year. It felt good to have him back.

Watching the familiar streets pass by, Sam was surprised when the Colonel drove past the street that would take them to the usual entrance. Brows furrowed in puzzlement, she realized he must be planning to take them in by the side gate, but she had no idea why. The side gate would take them much further out of the way from the main complex. Neither man in the front seemed to notice Jack's detour.

"Uh, Colonel?" she asked, straightening up in her seat to be able to see Jack's eyes in the rearview, still covered as they were by the dark glasses.

"Just taking a little detour," Jack replied with forced nonchalance, avoiding looking at her as he slowed down at the gate, and Sam was reminded of the man's earlier sidelong looks when he'd thought she wouldn't notice. Warnings started to go off in her head. Something was up, and she was getting the feeling that she wouldn't like it. Daniel had noticed too and was giving the man a quizzical look as he passed over his ID. The guard gave both ID cards a cursory glance, his eyes sliding over her in the back seat. None of the soldiers stationed at this gate knew SG-1, so no one saw anything amiss with a child in the back seat. The guard waved them onward after returning their ID cards.

"Colonel?" she asked again, as the man turned onto another street that was most definitely taking them away from the main mountain complex.

"Maybe you should call me Dad," Jack suggested, still not meeting her gaze as he pulled into a parking lot. Sam looked out the window and realized they were at the base's hourly daycare center. The uncomfortable feeling of dread started to grow inside of her as Jack cut the engine and started to unbuckle his seatbelt. Daniel looked puzzled as he opened his door, but Sam remained motionless in her seat.

The two men got out of the vehicle, Daniel walking around from the other side to join them as Jack pulled open her door when she still hadn't moved.

"Uh, Jack, what are you doing?" asked Daniel, as she and the Colonel stared at each other in a silent contest of wills. Sam crossed her arms over her chest, effectively blocking access to the harness buckles. She had no intention of leaving the truck.

After a few more moments of staring, Jack broke eye contact, and then looked at Daniel. "It's about time that Carter here, I mean Sam, spends a little time getting used to the idea of being a kid and being around other kids," he explained, waving one hand in the direction of the facility.

Sam tightened her arms. "You can't make me go in there, _sir_," she said defiantly, a slight emphasis on the honorific. Technically, they were off duty as they all prepared for their upcoming roles in their undercover mission.

Jack removed his sunglasses, regarding her carefully. "No, I can't order you, and while I could carry you in there, I think this is something you should decide on your own. Don't you think it would be a good idea to have a little practice interacting with adults that don't know you and young children before you have to do it for real?" he asked seriously.

Some of her resistance crumbled, while a little voice still protested the idea vehemently. She couldn't believe she was actually considering that the idea had merit! Desperately, she looked over her CO's shoulder, meeting Daniel's eyes. Unfortunately, the young man looked thoughtful.

"I hate to say this Sam," Daniel admitted reluctantly, "but Jack's got a point." He frowned and shifted his stance slightly, pushing up his glasses. "You could think of it as a lesson in anthropology, you know," he suggested. "Childhood is to many extents it's own separate culture. You could use the time to observe how adults and children interact and children with other children. Being more familiar with your role will help you to stand out less."

"Oh sure," she returned. "And we know how well my lessons in anthropology usually go," she muttered even as she started to unbuckle her restraints. From a disastrous early mission that involved a hideous blue dress on a world where women were generally less valuable than horses to an atypical matriarchal planet were she'd come home owning Daniel to prevent him from being "acquired" by the local equivalent of the queen. The Colonel hadn't let either of them live it down for weeks. It hadn't helped that the two of them had been joined on their return by a length of lightweight gold chain from her left wrist to an ornate collar around the man's neck. The incident had fueled all the dirty jokes and gossip at the SGC until some time later when one of the members of SG-5 had come home engaged to the local village leader's daughter. Despite the incident, the anthropologist had never given up the argument that it was best to fit in whenever possible, going along with local custom. When in Rome as the Colonel often said. Despite those particularly outstanding failures, most of the time he'd been right, and perhaps that was the only reason she was now ignoring the shrieking voice in her head and getting out of the truck.

Jack looked slightly smug as he shut the door after she'd hopped down, but he didn't say anything as he led the way to the building, which was probably fortunate. If he'd made any customary wise remarks, she probably would have turned back around. As it was, she trudged reluctantly behind the SG-1 leader, Daniel following in the rear.

When they got inside however, Sam might have bolted if the archeologist hadn't been directly behind her. The noise of dozens of children engaged in various activities around the large colorful room made her want to shrink a bit inside herself. Painted characters paraded on the walls while shelves and floor space were scattered with toys, games and books for a variety of ages. Jack made his way surely to the check-in desk, casting a narrow look at her over his shoulder. The look was enough for her to firm up what little resolve she had and follow. She tried to tell herself to think of the upcoming task as just another mission. The Colonel was at least partially right, it wouldn't be long before she would be forced to leave the comfort zone of the SGC where everyone knew who and what she really was and be surrounded by people that would respond only to her appearance. Still, she didn't have to like it much.

"I'd like to enroll my daughter Sam here in the hourly daycare this afternoon," Jack was telling the woman at the desk, with a vague gesture in her direction. Sam could see via the cutout in the desk that the woman looked slightly bored as she passed over some forms.

"How long? We have several openings this afternoon," she said, flipping open a scheduling book.

"Oh, maybe about two or three hours, is that ok?" asked Jack, as he filled out the paperwork, not even glancing at her.

"Three hours?!" protested Sam automatically, her words cut off as Daniel bumped into her, coughing loudly. At the reminder, Sam reluctantly bit off further complaints, inwardly fuming, and suddenly feeling very confused.

The receptionist sent a mildly curious look in their direction, and then dismissed them as she turned her attention back to the Colonel. "That's no trouble at all, sir. Will you be staying on base? Good. Please remember that you'll need to have someone able to pick," she paused and looked down at the first form, "Sam up in no longer than twenty minutes if needed. If you need to extend the time your daughter is here you'll need to give us at least thirty minutes of notice to make sure we don't have any staffing conflicts." The woman continued with well rehearsed rundown on the center's policies, ending with an explanation of some of the afternoon's activities as Jack finished filling out the papers. Sam barely heard anything the woman said, her mind locked onto the fact that it looked like she was going to have little say in the matter of staying here. Once he and Daniel left, she'd be stuck here until Jack decided to come get her. When she'd reluctantly agreed to go through with the plan, she'd thought she'd be there maybe thirty minutes, an hour tops. She should have known better, but still, she'd never have thought her CO would spring something like this on her so suddenly out of the blue.

Jack finished up at the desk, and turned away, gracing her with a brief glance while fiddling uncomfortably with his keys. There was an odd look on his face that she couldn't quite place, concentrating as she was on radiating her unhappiness. He seemed to waver slightly, but then seemed to firm up his resolve. "Behave, I'll be back," was all he finally said, and headed to the door without a backward look.

"But, you can't leave me here that long, sir!" she protested, trailing after the man, still not fully believing what was happening. She knew her teammates had all been adjusting to her new appearance; often reacting with a bit of over protectiveness, but this sudden about face of her CO was a major departure from everything they had been working on the past few days. They'd been easing slowly from a role of subordinate and commander into that of a child and adult, both fully aware of who and what she still was on the inside, but the Colonel seemed to have suddenly taken on the parental role he was to play in full force. "Dad wait!" she cried out in desperation, reacting instinctively on some inner level.

Jack paused momentarily, and without turning replied. "Yes, Sam, I can."

"Uh, Jack," tried Daniel, but Jack cut him off.

"Not now Daniel," he said gruffly in dismissal, lengthening his stride towards the door, and ignoring the curious looks sent his way.

Swinging her hopeless glance to Daniel, Sam watched as Daniel observed the retreating but determined figure of their leader, before looking down at her with an apologetic grimace. His concerned expression looked torn between his two friends. A short battle played across his face before he came to some decision "I'll see what I can do Sam," he promised, before hurrying to catch up with Jack.

"But," she said, trailing off as the heavy glass door swung shut. Briefly, she thought about following them, one hand resting on the glass. Something was going on, and she felt like she was caught in the middle of it, helpless to do anything to change it. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, one of the attendants across the room having spotted her standing alone in the doorway, reminding her of the lack of freedom her new state caused. Still, she remained in the doorway, almost defiantly, watching her two teammates. They seemed to argue over something at first and then they got in the truck. She watched them pull off before she let herself be led away from the entrance.

"Jack! Wait!" Daniel called, but Jack acted like he hadn't heard him at first, and then he stopped next to the truck, fiddling with his keys again. "Jack, what was that about?" he demanded, arms crossing instinctively over his chest.

The other man didn't reply immediately. When he did look up his eyes were dark with some hidden emotion. "She needs to start getting used to things," he said.

Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly, frowning in concentration. "That's not it and you know it," he challenged, not willing to be diverted so easily.

Jack sighed, stuffing hands in his pockets keys and all, and turned his back on the younger man. "Seeing her standing there, so… annoyed, well, it just brought back some stuff," he admitted reluctantly, almost mumbling.

His frown only growing, Daniel studied the other man thoughtfully for a moment. "About the last time you mean, when we were all kids except you?" he asked intuitively. It hadn't been hard to notice that Jack had gone to great lengths to paint those few months in as positive light as possible. It didn't take a genius to realize that there had been no way those three months had been nothing but joy and sunshine, and equally as evident that Jack had no intention of sharing those less than stellar moments.

"Yeah," Jack replied, turning abruptly and sending the key home in the lock with a neat click. He paused again, looking down at the door handle and making no move to open the door.

"Jack?" Daniel prompted, sensing there was something more.

The other man's next words seemed torn from him reluctantly. "Earlier when Carter… when _Sam_ and I were canvassing the school, well, it just sorta hit me that she can be in real danger on this mission."

Frowning, the younger man studied his long time friend before replying. "Yeah, but it's not like we haven't taken on dangerous missions before, and we knew that this one would be risky when we took it. _Sam_ knew it too, when she agreed to her role," Daniel reminded gently, getting the feeling he was treading on thin ice. He would have to go carefully to get to the root of the problem.

Jack just shrugged, still not making eye contact, as he studied the door, one hand still holding the key in the lock. "I've never doubted Carter could handle herself in any situation over the years. But this… this is different. You saw what happened at Target," he pointed out, finally meeting the younger man's gaze briefly before looking away again.

All the final pieces finally fell into place in Daniel's head. "You don't think she'll be able to defend herself this time do you?" he asked. "You know Teal'c and I will be watching her back right?"

"I know, I know," the other man answered, shoulders slumping with a sigh. "It's just… well…" he trailed off, seeming to not want to finish the sentence he'd started.

Daniel on the other hand, had no such compunction, and felt the SG-1 leader needed to get this all out in the open, or it would keep hanging over all of them like a black cloud, possibly even jeopardizing the mission. "But you won't be there, at least not on location," he pointed out. Jack's eyes darted back, and Daniel fought the instinct to inhale sharply. This was it, Daniel had thrown down the glove and it was in Jack's hands now.

It was a long moment before Jack replied, tearing his eyes away from Daniel's challenging gaze. He took a deep breath. "No," he grumbled, the admission almost inaudible, "And that's all I'm telling you so you might as well drop it," he finished brusquely, jerking open the door with some finality, and turning his head to pierce the younger man with a hard look.

"Fine!" cried Daniel, frustrated and yet somehow triumphant and the same time. He knew when it was time to retreat, and was amazed he'd gotten as much as he had out of the older man. He walked around to the other side of the vehicle, but couldn't help one more question though, as he caught sight of something. "You sure this is the right thing to do?" he asked quietly as he got in the truck. Jack followed the younger man's gaze to find their teammate standing forlornly in the doorway, one small hand pressed against the glass.

"She'll be ok," Jack answered gruffly, tearing his eyes away from the sight and turning his attention to getting settled in the driver's seat. It seemed that whether the course of action he'd selected was the right one or not, the commander in him was committed to seeing it through, whatever the consequences.

Daniel's forehead wrinkled slightly, still watching the figure in the doorway. "Yeah, but still," he replied, "it just seems a little, oh, mean."

"Hey, you agreed it was a good idea you know," came the automatic rejoinder. "I seem to recall something about a lesson in anthropology." Jack speared the younger man with a glare, and then looked away while he started the truck, pretending to be absorbed in the task. "She agreed too, come to think of it," he pointed out defensively.

"That's not what I meant, Jack. Yeah, she needs to get used to things, but everyone is going to be taking away her right to make choices. She doesn't need us doing the same thing," Daniel explained earnestly, trying to make the other man understand the difference.

Jack just grunted as he backed out of the slot, but Daniel saw he couldn't resist one last look at the daycare center, and knew that on some level, the other man was considering his words. They both watched as one of the workers joined Sam in the doorway, and their small teammate looked away to exchange a few words. The woman took Sam's hand and led her away, but they saw her looking over her shoulder out the window, her gaze fleeting. Jack turned to look determinedly out the front window. "She'll be fine," he repeated.

"I hope you're right," Daniel answered with a sigh. He'd thought that SG-1 had come a long way to reconciling the new, albeit temporary situation they'd found themselves in, but obviously, they still had a long way to go.

_A/N: Just had to toss out an unexpected twist! _

_I have to add that waxing the slide in the previous chapter actually came out of my own childhood. There was a huge slide at the local park, similar to the one I described. This one was actually wide enough for adult bodies, but a cage around the ladder prevented anyone larger than a child to get on. One day, dad had I and my two brothers clean the slide with old rags under our butts, and then sent us down on wax paper a few times. I can only say that the line for the new attraction was quite something. Probably about as close to flying without a plane as you may ever get. I still shake my head over the memory of Dad having us wax the slide. It seemed like something Jack would do._

_As for the adult sized gymnasium, there's a place called Port Discovery. I took my friend and her family on their last visit. I'm not sure who had more fun, little Philip, or his Dad, a Sergeant in the Army. For a man who has spent the better part of the past 3 years chasing Al-Qaeda down numerous foxholes, he had a blast keeping pace with his seven-year-old son in tunnels and rope ladders, and other attractions._


	10. Daycare Doldroms

_Chapter 10: Daycare Doldrums_

Sam had to strongly resist looking at the large wall clock again. She knew it would tell her it had only been five minutes since the last time she looked, which had only been five minutes from the time she'd looked before that. Earlier, as the employee had led her into the room, Sam had tried again to think of this like one more mission, a cultural exchange like Daniel had suggested. That resolve had lasted all of two minutes.

And then the singing had started.

She'd barely been here fifteen minutes and already she was bored out of her skull. The group of four to six year olds around her led by another one of the attendants launched into a third repetition of the song, "Bingo," boisterously clapping and chanting the unimaginative lyrics. Sam sighed, tightening her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees, unable to stop replaying in her mind the last few minutes before the Colonel and Daniel had left. Something was up. What, she had no clue. Yes, the Colonel had given in a few times to a bit of over protectiveness since her transformation, as had the rest of her team, but they'd all seemed to be working things out. Or so she'd thought. Obviously, something had changed, but the cause eluded her. She sighed quietly again.

Around her, the song ended and the woman leading the group changed the tune thankfully, but since Sam had about as much interest in singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" as "Bingo," let alone participating in the accompanying actions, she silently detached herself from the group of children as the youngsters eagerly stood up to join in.

With a bit of inward struggle, she managed to suppress her speculations about why the Colonel had acted the way he had, and concentrate on the here and now. Slowly, she wandered around the perimeter of the large room, for the most part, watching quietly and observing the various activities. Some of the adults smiled, and Sam returned them with a shy smile of her own, but was reluctant to join in any of the activities she could see going on in the room, from boisterous to quiet. Mostly, she just wanted to watch. Despite the large size of the room, Sam found that the child-sized tables, chairs, and other furnishing were much more welcoming than the now seemingly imposing items around her in her more familiar adult-sized rooms. She knew that is was just a change in her perspectives, because she had vague memories of thinking old classrooms had shrunk as she'd grown older, and as an adult, saw child sized things as tiny, even cute. Sam stopped her wandering, gazing into the room, trying to get a grasp on her new view of things.

"Hi," said a girlish little voice not far to her right, startling her from her thoughts. In surprise, Sam turned to find a small girl who looked to be about six or so smiling at her. She was seated at a small oval table surrounded by what looked like drawing materials. "Would you like to color with me?" the little girl asked.

Sam blinked, and sent one last look around the room. Well, it wasn't like she had anything better to do; at least not until the Colonel decided she'd been here long enough. "Ok," she replied with a half shrug, and joined the girl at the table. The child didn't seem to notice her hesitation; she just smiled and shook her head in an unconscious gesture to settle her long brown hair. Silently, she pushed a piece of paper over in front of where Sam sat, and then moved the plastic tub full of crayons to where they could both reach it.

The other child picked up her temporarily discarded crayon, and bent back to industriously coloring her picture of what looked like a house and a family complete with trees and a smiley-faced sun. "I'm Katie," the little girl told her in a matter of fact tone. "I'm six. What's your name?"

Frowning slightly, Sam looked at her blank paper for a few moments before replying. "I'm Sam. I'm… five."

"You must be starting kindergarten," Katie replied wisely. When Sam nodded, Katie continued. "You're just a baby then," she informed Sam. "I'm going into first grade. My mommy said that first grade is for big boys and girls." Katie glowed with pride.

Biting back an automatic retort, Sam pulled a crayon out of the tub and started to color on her paper with it. Not really sure what to draw, she placed the yellow crayon against the paper, idly forming it into a round, yellow disc. Next to her, Katie continued to enumerate the benefits of first grade over kindergarten.

"Mommy says I'm going to be able to read real books this year. Oh, and I won't have to take naps anymore." Katie exchanged her crayon for another. "Naps are for babies. Say, you draw really good, are you sure you're only in kindergarten?"

Looking at her paper in surprise, Sam studied the drawing, and then she shook her head. "Pretty sure," she replied. No one had complemented her artistic abilities since, well since she'd been in elementary school. No doubt the standards were a bit lower now in her present state.

"You've never been to school before?" Katie asked seriously, still pursuing her line of questioning.

Sam frowned, wondering what the girl saw in the half formed images drawn idly on the paper sheet. "Not really," she answered.

"Preschool doesn't count. My baby brother Matthew is in preschool, and he doesn't know _anything_." Sam ducked her head to hide her smile as Katie launched into a diatribe about annoying little brothers. With half an ear, Sam let Katie prattle on while she absentmindedly colored, occasionally inserting comments when it was required, most of her mind devoted to her recent speculations and observations. For her part, Katie didn't seem to mind the mostly one sided conversation, and Sam listened as the little girl moved on from annoying brothers to the outfit she was going to wear the first day of school, to the new backpack and lunch box she'd picked out, to talking about her favorite cartoon.

Eventually, Katie grew tired of coloring and stood up. "I'm done coloring," she announced, "Let's go play dress-up." The little girl flounced off across the room before Sam could reply. Halfway to her goal, Katie stopped and turned around, small hands braced on hips. "What are you waiting for Sam?" she asked. "C'mon, I'll even let you be Cinderella."

Returning her crayon to the tub, Sam sent a fleeting look at the clock on the wall behind Katie. She'd barely been here more than an hour, and somehow she doubted that the Colonel would be back anytime soon, with or without Daniel's attempts to persuade him. There had been a determined set to his features she recognized all too well, despite the glimpse of an odd expression she hadn't been able to place before he'd turned his back on her. But thinking of that brought her back to her commander's sudden and unexpected behavior, so with a sigh, she abandoned her train of thought, moving to join Katie in whatever diversion the young child might provide.

As soon as Sam got up from the table, Katie turned around and skipped the rest of the way to the dress-up corner, which was furnished with a mirror, benches, and a large trunk. By the time Sam joined her at a more sedate pace, the other little girl was already digging in the big chest, mumbling as she tugged out some items and discarded others. "Here it is," she crowed suddenly, pulling on something. Straightening, Katie turned and thrust a bundle of fabric into Sam's arms. "Put that on," she ordered, and turned back to the chest to pull out something else. "I'm going to be the fairy godmother," she said smugly.

One eyebrow raised at the little girl's bossiness, Sam shook out the child-sized dress she'd been handed. The little dress was plain, despite a glossy sheen, white with turquoise highlights.

"What are you waiting for Sam? We haven't got all day," complained Katie as she emerged from the trunk with a more ornate frilly pink dress covered in layers of taffeta. Without hesitation, the little girl pulled on the dress over her clothes, and turned back to the trunk. "Now I just need to find my tiara and my wand," she explained seriously. "Hurry up and get dressed so you can play with me."

Sam narrowed her gaze at the child and then suppressed a sigh after reminding herself that Katie _was_ just a child, and she was here after all to practice interacting with her new, albeit temporary, peer group. She pulled the slightly wrinkled dress over her head and the material fell to the floor, hiding her shoes. What was it with her and blue dresses anyway? The guys would be having a field day if they saw her now. She moved to stand next to the little girl, and peered doubtfully into the trunk as the child continued to rummage.

After a few minutes, both the tiara and the wand were located. "Now, the evil stepmother has told you to scrub the floors, so you should do that, and I," said Katie, waving the wand with what she must have thought was a dramatic flourish, "as your fairy godmother will come to whisk you away to the ball."

The minutes trickled by, and Sam tried not to watch the clock too closely. Not far from the dress-up corner, another sing-along started, and Sam decided that Katie was the lesser of the available evil choices. Sam knew she could slip away and try to find something else to occupy herself with until the guys came to pick her up, but she _was_ here to observe. And Katie seemed to enjoy playing with her, even if she didn't ask for opinions very much. Sam also thought that refusing to play with the child anymore would probably hurt the little girl's feelings. Katie, despite her outgoing and sometimes bossy personality seemed to radiate loneliness, likely related to the fact that she'd just moved here this past summer when her father was transferred.

Unfortunately for Sam, Katie seemed to prefer the dress-up corner most of all. Even though Sam managed to pry the girl away for a short game of Candyland, Katie dragged her right back over to play dress-up again. The girl seemed to prefer the dresses, the frillier the better. Of course, that would be when her ticket out finally arrived, and Sam looked up after donning the latest, and probably frilliest, of the dresses to find a very amused Colonel looking down at her.

_A/N: Quite a mixed reaction to the past chapter, but then, I expected as much when I posted it. In fact, I thought I'd get a bit more of a reaction, but FF hasn't been sending me my alerts so I figure others are probably having the same trouble, and hopefully will get alerts with this chapter so they can catch up. Anyway, I expected a mixed reaction, you should have seen the clamor my beta's made with the original draft. In that version, the argument in the parking lot didn't happen, and it wasn't until the last minute that I added in the bits Sam noticed at the school an in the daycare center. Even still, I thought there would be a divide of folks that thought Jack would be totally capable of doing what he'd done, and another group that thought he would be out of character. In either case, hopefully I'll be able to explain his thought processes in the upcoming chapters. Keep in mind that this is somewhere season 7._


	11. Tea Party

_Chapter 11: Tea Party_

Threading his way around a group a children chanting a song that seemed to be about gopher guts, Daniel picked his route carefully through a virtual minefield of items and furnishings that seldom rose past his knees, and small bodies that often barely cleared his waist. He realized that Jack had located Sam, the three men having split up to locate their teammate faster. As quickly as possible, he moved to join the two, particularly when he noticed that Sam was wearing an oversized pink and frilly dress, and Jack was looking obviously amused.

He arrived just in time to hear Jack ask, "Having fun, are we?" Sam replied by hastily tugging the dress off over her head and stuffing it into a nearby trunk full of loose costume items and props. She had turned away quickly, but Daniel saw her cheeks turning a distinct shade of pink.

"Hi," said a little girl a bit taller than Sam, pulling his attention away from his embarrassed teammate. She had brown hair and matching eyes. Like the one Sam had just removed, the child was also wearing a frilly dress, this one in white, but no less adorned than the one Sam had just buried in the trunk.

Rejoining them having disposed of the evidence, Sam looked up at both men, then hastily looked down, shifting slightly from foot to foot and crossing her arms across her small body. "Guys, this is Katie. Katie, this is my… Dad and my friend, Daniel," she introduced, pointing to each man in turn and avoiding making eye contact with either of them.

Jack gave Sam a brief glance, and then grinned down at the little girl. "Hey there," he said charmingly.

"Nice to meet you," Daniel added with a smile, focusing on Katie in order to give Sam a moment to compose herself.

Katie however looked disappointed. "Does Sam have to go now? We were just about to have a tea party," she explained, motioning toward a nearby table set with a miniature tea service.

Frowning slightly, and always a pushover with kids, Jack hesitated. "Well, maybe we could all stay for one cup," he murmured. This time it was Jack who was reluctant to look at anyone.

Sam looked up in surprise. "You want to play tea party, sir? I mean Dad?"

Jack returned her gaze briefly, and then shrugged indifferently. "Why not? That's if it's ok with you two," he asked almost hesitantly.

Daniel narrowed his eyes slightly, but when he saw Sam look at the little girl, who was looking hopeful, and saw her nod reluctant agreement, he gave in. He could almost sense the loneliness emanating from the small child, as Sam obviously had, or she wouldn't be acquiescing. A moment earlier she'd looked relieved to see them and eager to be on their way.

"Great!" bubbled little Katie excitedly, the more subtle emotional byplays going over her head as she bent to dig out more cups and plates from the box that held the tea things. "Sam, you'd better get dressed again, we can't have a tea party without dressing up!"

For a moment, Sam seemed to regret her agreement to stay and looked like she might protest, but then sighed as Jack settled himself on the floor next to the table with a groan, folding his legs under him neatly, eschewing the all too small chairs. As Sam went back to the clothing chest, Daniel scanned the room, spotting Teal'c easily. The large man was surrounded by a group of children, all of them with their heads tilted back and staring as if awed by his size. Seeming to sense the other man's gaze, Teal'c looked up after saying something to one of the children and met Daniel's eyes. Daniel gave him a little wave and pointed in Sam's direction. Teal'c nodded, and started to make his way across the room, equally as conscious of his surroundings as Daniel had been.

Daniel turned back to find that Sam had donned a slightly more simple dress in green, but had added a matching green hat with a brim and a bit of ribbon around it. Her arms were full of more hats as she reached the table and deposited her load. She gave each of them a sweetly innocent look before explaining. "We should all put on our best hat for a proper tea party," she told them.

Katie looked ecstatic as she selected the heavily beaded and feathered one that sort of matched her dress. Copying Jack's position on the floor, Daniel seated himself across the table from the other man and next the Sam. Reaching out quickly, he snagged the plainest headpiece, a black velvet affair, before Jack's grasping fingers could connect with it. The man looked like he wanted to protest, but Daniel greeted him with an innocent look. Jack scowled, his choices limited to a blue hat with a veil in the front, or a grandmotherly item covered in a practical garden of fake flowers. Grumbling under his breath, Jack took the one with flowers as Teal'c joined them.

"Katie, this is… Murray," Sam introduced as she helped the little girl pass out plates. Katie stopped what she was doing to stare up in astonishment at the big man. Teal'c dipped his head in greeting.

"Uh, hi," Katie greeted, and then whispered to Sam. "You have some really tall friends." Sam smiled amusedly while Katie seemed to recover her composure. "Mr. Murray," the little girl asked formally, "Would you like to come to our tea party?"

"You'll need a hat," Jack supplied, pushing the extra headpiece down the table towards the man. Teal'c studied them quietly for a moment, and then inclined his head. "It would please me greatly, Miss Katie," he said, taking a seat on the floor, also wisely choosing not to test his weight on the tiny chairs.

"Can I play too?" asked a little girl of about five or six. She had red hair and freckles. Another girl about the same age stood behind her, also looking hopeful.

"Plenty of room," Jack said, and Daniel scooted sideways to make space for the newcomers, recognizing the children as ones that had recently been surrounding Teal'c and staring at him in awe. They still looked awestruck as they looked at the man, although they both giggled as the large man put on the tiny hat over his bandanna-covered head. The little veil barely reached his eyebrows.

Sam dug out some more props from the clothing box, and Katie got more plates before gleefully pouring out imaginary tea and had Sam serve them all pretend cookies. Jack amused all the children by snobbishly talking in a high-pitched squeaky voice while he sipped his imaginary tea. Daniel made sure to compliment the delicious meal and even Teal'c joined in, allowing Katie to pour him a second cup of tea.

Eventually though, Jack grunted and struggled to his feet. "It has been a wonderful party Miss Katie, but I'm afraid that we must depart, we have an appointment with a very important person." He removed his hat and waggled his eyebrows playfully to the girl.

Katie look disappointed as Sam and her friends stood, but not crushed, because the two little girls that had followed Teal'c showed no inclination of leaving, saying their own goodbyes to their new friends.

Quickly, Sam pulled off the dress and collected the rest of the hats, returning them to their proper place. "Bye Katie," she told the little girl.

"Bye, Sam," returned the little girl, already serving out more things to the other little girls at the table.

Daniel felt a brief flash of amusement as Sam made a beeline for the exit, leading all of them hastily out of the daycare center. They were halfway there when they heard Katie calling behind them.

"Sam's Dad! Sam's Dad, wait!" Turning, Daniel saw the little girl, still in her frilly dress and slightly askew headpiece, running in their direction while waving a piece of paper. "Sam's Dad, Sam forgot her drawing," Katie said, holding the paper up. Daniel heard Sam groan as Jack accepted the paper, looking highly amused. "Sam draws really good," she added, "Even though she's only starting kindergarten."

"Why, thank you Katie. I'm sure Sam will want to hang this fine work of art on the refrigerator when we get home," he said solemnly. Beside him, Daniel heard Sam make a strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a muffled curse.

Katie didn't notice, suddenly shy as she looked down at the floor. Unexpectedly, she burst to life, crossing to Sam and wrapping her arms around her. "Bye Sam, I hope I see you again, I had lots of fun today!" she said. After a brief moment of surprise, Sam returned the embrace and murmured something in reply. The little girl released her, turning to skip back across the room to where the other little girls were still playing tea party.

Daniel saw Sam's cheeks redden again, as a myriad of emotions crossed her face. Turning quickly, she headed back determinedly towards the door, and the rest of them followed.

"You know, I think this picture deserves to be framed," Jack announced, pretending to examine the drawing in his hand critically.

Sam's cheeks took on a deeper shade of pink. "Could I have that back now, please?" she asked, looking a little desperate as they stepped outside.

"What? So you can throw it in the nearest bin? I don't think so. A work of this magnitude deserves to be appreciated," Jack enthused. "I mean, who wouldn't appreciate the big blue and green circle…thing, or the round yellow ball and the bigger red one. And the black background? Such an artistic touch. Crayon should be the medium of choice for artists everywhere."

"Actually, sir," explained Sam, sounding slightly annoyed as she reached the truck and waited for the doors to be unlocked, "It's a representation of the most recent footage sent back from the satellite probe we sent to P84-327. If you remember, that system had two suns that caused an eccentric planetary orbit. We wanted to study the effect of the gravitational forces on the planet, but the temperature fluctuations won't allow us to send a team there except during brief windows. The data we've received so far has been amazing."

"You know Carter, that just sounded wrong, with the way you… well… you know," Jack complained, his words trailing off as he started to dig himself into a hole.

An odd look crossed Sam's face as she pulled open her door. "I'm still me, sir," she answered quietly as she climbed into the truck. Daniel walked around to the other side of the vehicle with Teal'c and got in the back next to Sam, noticing that his teammate was studiously applying her attention to connecting her seatbelt, and avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Up front, Jack coughed uneasily, and looked like he was about to say something, but then swallowed and focused on belting in and starting the engine. The silent tension in the truck was becoming palpable, and Daniel cleared his throat.

"So, we heading back to the base, or what?" he asked.

Jack straightened slightly. "Actually, I thought maybe we could get some ice cream first," he suggested, regaining some of his usual cheer.

Sam's eyes darted to the back of the man's head for a moment and then she turned away, studying the vehicle parked next to them. "If it's all the same to you guys, I'd rather go back to base. There are some things I'd like to work on." There was a slight emphasis on the word work, and a hint of frustration in her tone that Daniel didn't miss. He suspected that Jack hadn't missed it either, but just to be sure, he spoke up again.

"There are a few things I could do on base too," he stated. Sam glanced briefly in his direction, a look of gratitude unmistakable on her face before she turned back to looking out the window. Teal'c sat quietly in his seat in the front, choosing to remain silent, but Daniel knew the large man was absorbing every detail, and likely drawing his own conclusions. He made a note to speak with his teammate, discreetly of course, and bring him up to speed.

The Colonel looked like he wanted to argue, based on the slightly rebellious look on his face but practicality or good sense won out. "Back to base it is," he said, neatly backing up and heading the truck out of the parking lot.

Fortunately, the trip to mountain complex was mercifully short, since the bulk of the conversation centered on the times they passed through security. Once they were safely inside the SGC, Sam broke from the group, giving a distracted wave over her shoulder. "I'll be in my lab if anyone needs me," she tossed out, back straight and small shoulders squared. She didn't even look back at them as she turned a corner.

The three men watched her disappear, and Jack sighed heavily. "She's pissed, isn't she?" he stated needlessly.

"I'd say so," Daniel agreed, nudging up his glasses and crossing his arms, his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared in the direction his female teammate had taken. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack glance at Teal'c and saw the other man tilt his head in agreement, one eyebrow raised.

Jack sighed again, stuffing his hands into pockets. "I'll talk to her," he said.

"Meet for dinner later?" Daniel asked. The others agreed readily, and the three men split up, each heading off to their own self-appointed tasks.

_A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long delay in updates, but real life has been hectic. I know many of you have been hanging on waiting for updates, especially judging by the increased numbers of reviews looking for updates. So hopefully, this chapter is worth the wait, and I'll try to work on getting out the next chapter, but it still needs a lot of work._


	12. Apologies

_Chapter 12: Apologies_

Jack stood in the corridor outside of Carter's lab, and looked at the drawing in his hands. The woman might be brilliant be she was a lousy artist. Somehow, he found the lack of talent oddly endearing. The fact she wasn't ashamed of her flaws and lacked the oversized ego that all too often came along with the remarkable intellect she possessed was probably one of the of the reasons he'd warmed to her so quickly in those early days of SG-1. They'd been a ragtag group back then, but somehow, their differences had served as the glue that formed their cohesiveness all these years, keeping them together longer than any other unit in the SGC's brief history.

Of course, those differences had inevitably led to many disagreements over the years, some more spectacular than others, but somehow, they'd always managed to smooth it over it the end. He liked to think that they had grown all the stronger for it.

Still looking at the drawing, Jack knew this was one of those situations that called for a little smoothing over. It wasn't her fault that he was having issues with her being in the body of a child. The rest of SG-1 seemed to accept it, and Jack thought he had too. Obviously, he hadn't, and now he needed to fix it. Squaring his shoulders, he took the last few steps needed, pausing in the doorway to take in the scene in front of him.

Perched up on the stool, his second was bent slightly forward, elbows on the table with her chin resting on one fist, studying the screen of her laptop. Wires from the computer led to a strange looking device on the workbench in front of her. It was a pose he'd seen her take hundreds of times if not more over the years, and it grounded him, reminding him that she only looked like a child. The stool might be up a little higher, and her body smaller, but her mind was the same Major Carter he'd come to know and respect, to depend on, often trusting her with his life and the lives of the rest of his team. He realized then that on some level he'd reacted more than once to her outward appearance instead of the knowledge that she was still the same Sam Carter on the inside.

It had been that knee-jerk reaction that had led him to dumping her in the daycare center without so much as a by your leave, letting himself believe that he was doing what was needed to help anyone under his command prepare for an upcoming mission. He'd simply decided that she needed to learn how to adapt to her new cover, and that leaving her at the daycare center had been the best, and the safest, way to do so before he had to let her go solo into a possibly hostile situation. At a school acting as a front for some Goa'uld to harvest children, she'd be particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, he'd been thinking too much along the lines that she was as helpless as the child she appeared to be. He had ignored the little voice inside his head that said he should have given her a choice, or at least let her know the full details of the plan before implementing it. But his head had been too full of recent events, the scare at Target mingled with thoughts of just how helpless she would be in the upcoming mission, all but alone trapped in the body of a seemingly defenseless child. Those thoughts had somehow transmuted his normal concern as a commanding officer for a member of his team and mingled them with the growing paternal role he was to play in the upcoming mission. In short, he'd made a mess of things, and now he needed to set them right if she was to trust him and know that he trusted her to carry out her part in their mission. Mind steeled, he cleared his throat, stepping through the doorway into the Major's lab.

At his entrance, she looked up, tearing her eyes away from the scrolling numbers and lines of script that held no meaning to him. Stepping fully into the room, he crossed to the bench, dropping the paper he carried on the table next to her. She looked down at the drawing, and then back up at him, her expression more than a little puzzled. "Sir?" she asked, the hint of a confused look crossing her features.

Jack shrugged, uncomfortable and yet still determined. "Thought you might want that back," he told her, a bit gruffly. She studied him, the lines creasing her forehead deepening as she frowned slightly, the expression softened by the gentle lines of her now childish face, the bones less prominent, the face less defined. At this age, she still hovered on the cusp of leaving behind the last seemingly boneless remnants of toddlerhood and developing into that of a young child, her facial features and body structure beginning to take on the definition and lines that would be distinctly hers rather than the indistinct, rounded features of small children. He recognized the look despite the changes her de-aging had wrought. Perhaps it was that he'd now had the privilege to have seen that face in not one but two stages of childhood, as well as the full maturity of adulthood. It seemed odd, but he could look at that face now, and see the tell-tale signs of the woman he'd come to know, at least now that he was looking for it. He realized that he'd been ignoring at times those sparks of recognition, choosing only to see what his eyes saw. Perhaps it was his recent exposure to a slightly older Sam Carter, one that did not have her adult memories intact. This five-year-old version looked even more helpless and innocent than the seven-year-old one had, and if he were honest, she evoked his protective instincts even more fiercely, regardless of whether this version had the mind of an adult or not.

Before she could speak, Jack jammed his hands into his pockets. "Look, Carter, I probably didn't handle things very well earlier." He looked down, studying his boots and resisting the urge to fidget or pick up anything from the workbench. "I never should have sent you in without, well, without a full briefing," he admitted. He lifted his gaze slightly to find the woman turned child watching the screen of her laptop, but he could tell from the distant look in her eyes that she wasn't really paying attention to the data streaming past, but was focused more internally. She was silent for a few moments, pretending to study the screen, before she finally looked away and back up at him.

Their eyes met, and he caught fleeting glimpses of emotions flickering across her face, too quickly for him to pin down. When she spoke, her voice was level, despite the higher, childish pitch.

"I probably would have agreed anyway, if I'd had all the details, sir," she told him quietly. Her eyes darted to the side, and she ducked her head in an all too familiar gesture. Jack could see she was biting her lip as she tucked her arms around her torso. She had too much respect for him to say what was likely really on her mind, but he'd spent too many years with her, learning to read her silent body language. She didn't have to speak, he heard her loud and clear.

He sighed, shifting slightly where he stood. "You're right, and I shouldn't have sprung it on you the way I did. If we'd been in the field you'd have gone in with a full briefing. For what it's worth, I won't let it happen again," he told her, trying to instill his words with as much sincerity as he could.

She blinked, and he caught a brief flash of surprise in her blue eyes before she nodded slowly, turning her gaze back to the computer screen for a few moments, gathering her composure. Lifting her eyes back to him, she spoke softly with a slight lift of her chin. "Thank you, sir."

Jack nodded, his body automatically relaxing, making him realize just how tense he'd become. Apology given and accepted. He removed one hand from his pocket, absently jerking one thumb over his shoulder in the vague direction of the hall. "Listen, I was going to meet Teal'c and Daniel in the commissary for dinner in about an hour. Care to join us?"

She ducked her head again quickly, seemingly absorbed in her readings, but not before he'd caught the smile flit across her features. He saw her nod. "I should be finished by then, sir," she answered, carefully avoiding his face.

"I'll see you there then," he replied, good cheer suddenly restored. "If not, I'm sending Teal'c in after you," he warned mock threateningly.

This time she couldn't hide the smile that bloomed across her face, so quintessentially Sam Carter caught in a rare, unguarded moment. "I'll be there," she promised.

He bounced slightly with an answering grin. "Well, I'll, uh let you work, see you soon," he replied lamely, too relieved of the burden he'd unknowingly been carrying to care much. Somehow, he doubted that it was the end of his struggle with their roles in the upcoming mission, but the trust was still there. In his mind, that was all that mattered.

"Yes sir," she agreed. Jack turned away, but didn't need to look back to know that she was probably still smiling.

* * *

Dinner at first was a little subdued, but not for long. Sam soon found herself engaged with Daniel in a rousing discussion about an artifact that SG-11 had recently returned with. The shoebox-sized artifact was covered in colorful runes and gave off the faintest of energy signatures. Seeking a respite from the passionate debate, Jack started a conversation with Teal'c about the physical training exercises the large warrior had been putting some of the latest recruits through. Teal'c then surprised Sam by asking if she would spar with him the next afternoon.

"It would please me greatly," the large man explained to her surprised look, "To assist you in finding the most effective means to defend yourself in your current state."

When Sam agreed, still feeling a little surprised, Jack added his hearty approval, looking like he wished he'd thought of the idea first. He missed Daniel's grin, quickly hidden by his drink. Sam nearly missed it too, and for a moment, she was embarrassed, but the obvious relief her CO exhibited overruled anything else. And her mind argued logically that she knew the exercise would be beneficial. She most definitely had not liked the feeling of helplessness that had been thrust upon her at the Target store, and that man had not had any malicious intent. Should there be a next time, she might not be so lucky.

The group broke up after the meal, and Sam headed back to her lab, reflecting over the events of the day. Despite the way it had been thrust upon her, she'd found the time in the daycare center valuable. There, no one knew that she was actually a fully-grown woman mentally, with years of experience as a scientist and member of the US Air Force. No one treated her with the respect her rank as Major automatically granted. She had been treated how she looked, like a five year old child, by both the adults in the daycare center, and by the other children.

In some ways, she found it reassuring. Hers was a foolproof disguise. On the other hand, at least one small part of her still had trouble dealing with the complete lack of freedom her new appearance now gave her. Once left at the center, she'd been trapped there until the Colonel had chosen to return for her. She would not have been allowed to leave on her own. In fact, she wasn't free to go anywhere without an adult or an adult's permission, and that was something that she hadn't had to deal with in a very long time. Even the strict command structure and sheer number of rules and regulations of being a career military officer didn't come close to the lack of autonomy she now had in her current body.

Preoccupied with her musings, Sam set a few diagnostics to run on their own. She could look over the data later when she was less distracted. Idly, she doodled on her notepad, absently forming the letters of her name in a wobbly print. Sergeant Nichols had also pointed out that a five year old wouldn't write in cursive, and especially not in the crabbed hand she usually wrote in, cramming notes and ideas onto the paper in a shorthand often only she fully understood. The letters looked foreign to her, though she'd seen her childish handwriting when going through her father's effects several years ago, finding a box of old school things from her and her brother, and more recently, the samples at the Colonel's house. She still had no recollection of those three months she'd spent regressed to her seven-year-old body and memories, but the Colonel had plenty of evidence.

Startled by a huge yawn, Sam let go of her pen and stretched lazily. She'd have to start practicing with pencils, particularly the large ones required by her kindergarten class, but for now, she found familiarity and comfort in using the pen, despite the mild awkwardness she felt gripping it in her small hand.

"Long day?" asked a voice from the doorway, startling her slightly mid-stretch.

Sam smiled dropping her arms into her lap. "Hey, Janet. Yeah, it's been a busy day but I can't believe I'm tired like this. I'll probably turn in soon," she admitted more than a little sheepishly. She knew she was quite well known by all those close to her for the late hours she kept when in the midst of fascinating projects.

Janet made a show of looking at her watch as she stepped into the lab, crossing over to the table Sam was working at and leaning casually against it. "You? It's only 21:15. You should have at least another four, maybe five hours in you before you usually even think about quitting for the day," the doctor teased, a smile tugging around the corners of the woman's usually demure, professional mask.

"Yeah, crazy huh?" Sam admitted ruefully. She yawned again, flushing when Janet looked amused. Lifting one hand, she ran fingers through her hair, and saw Janet's eyes dart to her arm, brow furrowing in concern. Deftly, the physician captured her wrist before Sam could even think about tucking the injury safely out of site. It was too late for that at any rate; the Doctor's sharp eyes had already caught the telltale signs of bruising.

"What happened here?" she asked, the petite woman's eyes sought hers, and Sam's felt the warmth on her face growing. The bruising was already starting to shift from the initial deep purple to a varied palette of blues, greens, and yellows. She hadn't paid much attention to it, since it was merely a little sore and only when she leaned on it, but no doubt it looked even more spectacular tonight than it had last evening.

Breaking eye contact, Sam squirmed slightly but Janet kept hold of her wrist, as if reluctant to let go of the evidence. "I fell off the swing yesterday," she mumbled, more embarrassed about how the injury had occurred than the about the injury itself. When Janet didn't say anything, she added, "It's just scrapes and bruises. I scraped my knees too, Daniel cleaned them up." Janet let her arm drop and Sam looked up to find the doctor watching her. To her relief, there was no amusement in her friend's eyes, merely the concern of a professional and friend. "I'm ok, really," she said, trying to reassure the other woman.

"You're sure?" Janet asked, her face still creased in concern.

"I'm sure," Sam told her. "You know the guys would have made me come in if I wasn't, right?"

That, more than anything, reassured the physician. Sam saw the woman's posture relax immediately. "You're right. How are things anyway?"

Sam shrugged. "Still weird, but it's been getting better, I guess. The guys have been trying to help me, but it's still a lot to grasp." She shrugged slightly in resignation. "They keep trying to help me rediscover my lost childhood I think, especially the Colonel." Another yawn interrupted her, and Janet looked apologetic.

"I should let you go. Listen, I just came by to see how things were. If you don't mind, I'd like it if you could stop by the infirmary tomorrow for a quick check up." The redhead held up a hand at Sam's automatic grimace. "Nothing formal, I just want to take a look. Your case is pretty unique you have to admit." The gleam of professional interest sparkled in her friend's eye, and Sam could only smile in return, knowing the feeling all too well.

"Ok," she agreed, pretending reluctance. It was her turn to hide amusement as her friend's eyes lit up. To be honest, she was also curious about the changes wrought in her own body. "I can come by around lunch, when Sergeant Nichols releases me," she told the woman, and then yawned again, getting down off the stool and stretching leisurely, her young body more lithe and flexible than she was used to. "I can't seem to last much into the evening anymore," she said regretfully, as she headed for the door, the doctor falling in step beside her as she turned off the lights and locked her door behind her.

Janet smiled down at her, and Sam found the new perspective less startling than when they'd first gotten back from the planet. She must be getting used to things. "It's only natural," the doctor explained as they walked. "You're physically in the body of a child, and children need much more sleep than adults do."

"A _lot _more," Sam replied ruefully.

Janet smiled, her hands tucked into her lab coat pockets as they reached the elevator. "Goodnight Sam," she told her firmly, removing one hand and pressing the correct button to take Sam to base quarters.

"'Night Janet," Sam mumbled in reply around another yawn as she stepped onto the elevator. Janet smiled as the doors rumbled shut, and it was all Sam could do to hit the right number and get off at the correct floor. Well, at least she wasn't being carried to bed.

Fortunately, her sleepwear was uncomplicated, because she barely remembered to drape her unofficial uniform over the back of a chair as she changed into her now oversized adult t-shirt before climbing into bed. She felt like she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

_A/N: Well the title of this chapter is appropriate in more ways than one. Apologies from Jack to Sam, and apologies from me to my loyal readers, especially those of you who not only take the time to leave me much appreciated feedback on every chapter, but additionally to send me hopeful little nudges in private messages when updates go amiss. I can only say that life has been hectic. If I'm not working, I usually have appointments with physical therapy, trying to find relief from chronic pain, that isn't much helped from spending the time needed in front of a computer to write stories, much as I enjoy the writing. And with summer coming to an end, on those rare days I have off from work and appointments that happen to have nice weather, I want to be outside enjoying the sun rather than inside staring at a computer. But in many ways, I want to write this story as much as many of you want to read it. And I have quite a few ideas for the next few upcoming chapters. I hope this one is worth the wait. And hopefully, my life will slow down some so that I can again devote time to developing this story, which I think and hope that you all are enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying writing it. When I have the time that is. So please bear with me, and thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to follow it despite the slowed progress._


	13. Speeding

_Chapter 13: Speeding_

After her morning session with Sergeant Nichols, Sam grabbed a quick lunch before showing up at the infirmary. Janet nodded for her to take a bed as she finished putting stitches into the hand of SG-11's new Lieutenant. "Now, make sure you keep that dry, and watch for signs of infection like I told you," Sam heard the doctor telling the unfortunate soldier as she settled herself on the indicated bed. "Mind that you take it easy with that hand, I'm not as gentle if I have to put the same stitches in a second time," Janet finished, and the young man hurriedly gathered his blouse and left as the doctor turned her attention to her newest arrival.

Used to the ministrations of the professional side of her friend, Sam only stifled a sigh when Janet made her own examination of the injuries she'd received at the playground, allowing the doctor to prod the bruising on her arm and revealing her matching scraped knees. Janet murmured over the injuries, removing the band-aids Sam had replaced the day before and putting on new cream and adhesive strips. This time, as the Doctor clucked sympathetically over the minor injuries, Sam couldn't miss the slight gleam of amusement as the woman forced her friend to explain in greater detail how the injuries had occurred.

Fortunately, Janet became distracted with her exam of her small patient, comparing her latest findings with those taken upon their return from the planet. Despite herself, Sam became interested in the results as well, particularly when Sergeant Nichols tentatively joined them.

Slightly surprised to find Sam in the infirmary, Nichols explained that she'd come to consult Janet about the increased dexterity and coordination she'd noticed Sam demonstrate for someone who was supposed to only be five. Finding the two together quickly led the two women to devise a series of tests to evaluate Sam's motor skills.

More curious than annoyed, Sam let the two women lead her through a series of activities designed to test her fine motor skills, balance, and coordination. Her mind used to years of doing much more strenuous or laborious tasks as a soldier and scientist, and having become more used to her body in the last few days, Sam thought she did rather well. It was a piece of cake after all. She could very easily walk along a line on the floor, touch her nose, handle tiny objects, and stand or hop on one foot, compared to the things she did on a regular basis as a member of a front line unit like SG-1.

And so Sam was a bit surprised to find the two women frowning, their heads together after she easily completed an impromptu obstacle course in the infirmary. Not once, but twice, the second time backwards after she'd found the first time so easy, just to see if she could.

"What's up?" she asked them, slightly flushed from her mild exertions. "Did I do something wrong?"

The two women broke apart, startled as if they'd just realized she was still there. They exchanged guilty looks with one another, and the Sergeant explained. "Nothing wrong Major, not exactly," she said. "It's just you're a bit more agile for someone your age."

Sam's brows furrowed. Seeing the confused look, Janet tried to elaborate. "It's not bad, Sam. Just… interesting. At this stage in development, a five year old is still developing the myelin sheaths that control fine motor movements, and they are still learning to balance and coordinate the larger muscle groups. However, you seem to be having very little trouble with your balance and coordination."

"Is that bad?" Sam asked, still slightly worried. After all, they were putting a lot of effort into training her to think and act like any other child of her appearance. And there was always the possibility of some unwanted side effect from using the machine, or from the power surge that had occurred during her transformation. Janet and Nichols exchanged looks again, and Janet replied.

"Not necessarily bad, just curious," she admitted. "You're in perfect health, at least as far as I can tell without detailed medical records from your original childhood," she added, as if sensing Sam's unvoiced concerns.

"It also means we'll have to work on making you a little less accomplished," chimed in Nichols, and Sam stifled a groan. They had been covering a _lot_ of material in their morning sessions. "All the skills you just demonstrated here are actually taught to children in kindergarten as part of their PE class curriculum. In fact, it's usually on their progress reports, as to whether a child has mastered skills like hopping and skipping, or balancing on one foot." The woman shrugged slightly. "With so many children starting sports earlier, it's not unusual for children to be particularly adept in certain areas, but it might look a little odd for you to have mastered all the skills and more before even starting kindergarten."

Sam sighed. She was finding out that there was a lot of work involved in being a kid!

Janet nodded in agreement with the other woman's assessment, and Sam broke in with another question, still a little concerned, and more than a little curious about her new, albeit temporary, body. "But I'm pretty much a five year old, right? So why do I have all the same skills as I normally do, if you say I shouldn't at my current size and age?"

The Doctor frowned, pondering the question. "Very likely, it's more of the fact that your brain knows these skills, rather than your body knowing them. As far as we can tell, your neural pathways are completely intact, your brain wave readings and EEG identical to the ones we took before going back to P35-437, which is different from the first time around. I've also noted a slightly higher ratio of muscle mass in you than the average, healthy five-year-old girl. It may be that the device translated your normal state of health and level of physical fitness into your child body. I can only think it's a side effect of leaving your memories intact, because there was nothing unusual in your previous transformation, aside from the naquadah and protein marker."

"Or maybe it's just a case of mind over matter," speculated Nichols, looking intrigued. "I've read some interesting articles about adults and children overcoming strokes and severe brain injuries." At that point, the conversations rapidly degenerated into discussions about neural pathways and synapses during childhood development, brain chemistry, nerve development, and other no doubt fascinating subject matter. Sam suddenly got a dose of how the Colonel probably felt during her and Daniel's briefings. It was with some relief that Sam spotted Teal'c hovering in the doorway.

Stepping back from the conversation going on over her head, both literally and figuratively, Sam went to join her teammate. The two women were bent over a nearby console, obviously already doing research. Neither of them noticed Sam move away.

"Hey Teal'c," she greeted the large man. "It's not that I'm disappointed to see you, but aren't you a little early?" she asked, glancing at her watch.

Teal'c inclined his head in response. "If you are referring to our appointment later, my plans have not altered. However, O'Neill wishes to remind you that it is time for SG-1's usual run."

Sam blinked in surprise. "Teal'c, while I wouldn't mind a little exercise, you and I both know that I'll never keep up with the rest of you, not like this at any rate," she said, with an expansive gesture at her downsized body.

Her friend glanced down at her, and she thought she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes, but he looked away, his face wearing it's usual, impassive features. "Nevertheless," the man replied, "I believe that O'Neill's reminder was not a request."

Sam's mouth opened, and then shut; swallowing the words she'd been about to say. "You're serious right?" she asked instead. Teal'c returned her gaze levelly, and she sighed. "Of course your serious. Fine, I'll meet you topside, the usual place?" she asked, mind already struggling with whatever it was the Colonel could possibly be thinking, for all intents ordering her to join in SG-1's usual PT routine. It was a habit they, like many of the SGC teams here, had gotten into. Because of their frequent off world missions they weren't able to keep up with the usual day-to-day PT schedules that were part and parcel of being a part of the US military. Knowing that staying in peak physical condition was often the difference between life and death on the front lines, most of the units at the SGC took to keeping their own training regimens, mingling with each other when chance arose, but otherwise, making sure their own units kept up with and often above, the Air Force's requirements for physical fitness.

She was more than accustomed to joining her teammates in the gym, on runs and on regular trips through the base obstacle coarse or even doing a little wilderness training, but somehow, she hadn't thought the Colonel would expect her to continue now. In fact, she'd been thinking about some sort of independent exercises that would allow her to keep up with her usual fitness routine, modified to suit the demands and limits of her changed body.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Teal'c merely nodded. "If you are finished here, we will meet you in the ancillary parking lot," he affirmed. Sam looked over her shoulder at Janet and Nichols. Janet had retrieved a hefty text from somewhere, and the young Sergeant was eagerly pointing to something on a web page. As curious as she had been about her own body, her patience for being a lab rat extended only so far. Particularly once said lab rat got ignored. Secretly, Sam wondered how long before the two women would notice her disappearance. She grinned up a Teal'c.

"Oh, we're done, I'll just go change into something more appropriate for running," she said. Teal'c nodded, and the two departed the infirmary.

* * *

Lacking a proper uniform in her size, Sam selected plain navy shorts and a gray t-shirt that had appeared mysteriously with her on base clothing. The t-shirt read: "Property of the USAF." She wasn't sure if it had been added by one of her teammates, or someone else on base, but at least it was better than the "My Dad's in the Air Force" t-shirt she'd had to wear the first few days back. Since they were running on base, she also dug one of her reflective PT belts out of her drawer, and found she had to adjust it quite a bit to fit her now much smaller waist. It still sagged slightly even on the smallest setting, but with SG-1 being a rather diverse group consisting of one alien, and one civilian, the Colonel had never been one to stand strictly on regulations.

At least as long as they didn't look like slobs.

And in the early days, it had been easiest to fit Teal'c and Daniel with Air Force issue PT attire, despite Daniel's protests that his own gear, at the time purchased secondhand due to a little matter of him having been dead, was more than acceptable. It had also taken some time to convince the archeologist that physical fitness might just save his life. After that, the group exercised regularly together, usually blowing the top off the rest of the teams' scores. There was after all, SG-1's reputation to uphold, particularly when meeting or exceeding PT requirements had become a bit of a competition among the SG teams.

Making her way to the surface, Sam continued to speculate about the Colonel's reasons for ordering her to join them. Today was the day they usually ran, generally about five miles or so. Other days they spent in the gym or sparring, but today, they usually went running, no matter the weather, like true soldiers.

She knew she'd never be able to keep up; she was much too small now. And the Colonel had to know as well. And then there had been that odd gleam in Teal'c's eye. He'd been hiding something.

Soon enough, she reached the surface, waving at the usual security guards that screened the SG personnel in and out. They looked curious at her attire, but said nothing other than "Afternoon, Major," and "Good day ma'am," in response to her greeting.

She found the rest of her team at the far end of the gravel parking lot, already starting their warm-up routine. "Sir…" she started, only to have the Colonel interrupt.

"Took you long enough Carter, better start warming up, thought we'd take the north road today," he told her. "We've all been slacking a bit of late."

Sam was startled. The north road wasn't one of the most grueling routes available, though it had its share of hills and valleys. She just thought they'd take one of the more gently sloped routes, in deference to her body changes. If she had no chance of keeping up on flat terrain, there'd be no way she would if they took the north road. Unfortunately, the Colonel wasn't paying her the slightest bit of mind, as he gruffly corrected Daniel in one of the stretches the man had never seemed to master correctly. Not to mention, she was a bit too proud to make much effort in complaining. She'd do her best, even if it meant lagging a mile behind the rest of her team.

If the Colonel wanted her to run with the team, she'd run with the team.

With a sigh, she started her own warm up, surprised at how limber she felt. She'd not thought herself old by any means, but the years of physical stress had taken their toll on her body over time. Old injuries became stiff; muscles grew sore from bending over workstations, or crouched in foxholes. Sleeping on the ground as much as they usually did didn't help much either. None of those usual twinges and pains bothered her now, much more noticeable in their absence.

Still, it wasn't enough to take her mind off the Colonel's behavior. After their talk yesterday, she'd felt they'd reestablished a trust that neither of them had noticed lacking. She'd known the Colonel had been behaving strangely, but with the way the rest of the SGC had accepted her, she'd not thought the Colonel had any problems until the daycare center. After that, she hadn't known what to expect. With the world about to treat her like the child she looked, she had worried she could next expect the same treatment from her CO. But after his startling apology, she'd thought things were on the mend. However, she hadn't expected him to go so far as to expect her to keep up like Major Carter normally could. It was like he'd gone from treating her like the child she looked, to forgetting that she was in the body of a child.

"Ok, kids, I think we're ready," the Colonel announced, looking around the clearing once they'd all had a chance to loosen up, and then his gaze settled on her. "Ah. Carter. One more thing." He bounded off around one of the parked military vehicles before she could say anything. Looking up, she saw Daniel unsuccessfully smothering a grin, and Teal'c had that telltale gleam back in his eye.

"What is it, what am I missing?" Sam demanded, small fists braced on her hips, but Teal'c returned her glare solemnly, and Daniel was pretending to study the clouds.

"Missing? You aren't missing anything Carter. Nothing but a set of wheels to keep up with that is," the Colonel proclaimed, coming back around the Hummer he'd disappeared behind, pushing a small blue bicycle. It was a boys' bike, obviously used judging by a few visible scratches and a minor dent in the frame, but otherwise looked to be in good condition.

"Hopefully we got the size right," Daniel added, no longer trying to hide his grin.

"There were not many models to choose from, but I believe this selection will be quite satisfactory to you," chimed in Teal'c, producing a matching helmet he'd procured from behind a nearby rock.

"And no training wheels," added Jack, a bit smugly.

Sam approached the bike a bit cautiously, all at once relieved, amused, and embarrassed. "You guys, you picked this out for me?"

Jack shrugged. "Every kid needs a bike," he said, grinning. "What are you waiting for, try it out," he encouraged.

"According to base regulations, all cyclists must wear a helmet," Teal'c stated, handing her the one he held before she could mount the bike. Sam took it and placed it on her head, needing to make only a few minor adjustments. It fit well.

"I've got tools if we need to adjust anything," Jack added, motioning at the bike and still looking pleased with himself.

"As long as the bike is the right size that is," speculated Daniel pessimistically.

"It's the right size," countered Jack automatically.

"We were guessing at the garage sale," Daniel shot back.

"Um, why don't I try it out?" suggested Sam, interrupting. Suiting actions to words, she lifted one leg over the bike and settled in the seat. It was pretty close.

"Looks like we need to raise the seat a little, the rest looks pretty good," Jack noted, shooting an "I told you so" look to Daniel. Daniel merely grinned and pulled out a socket set, which he handed to Jack.

Adjustments were quickly made, and Sam took the bike for a brief spin around the gravel lot, her grinning teammates looking on in approval. There were no gears, and it had coaster brakes in addition to hand brakes, but Sam didn't think she'd have any trouble. She hadn't rode a bicycle in years, but it was like they said, once you learned to ride, you never forgot.

"Ready?" Asked the Colonel as she coasted to a stop by her waiting team.

She grinned back. "Ready sir!" she answered, suddenly eager. She'd forgotten how much fun riding a bike could be. Yeah, she had her motorcycles, but somehow it just wasn't quite the same feeling. Maybe you couldn't go as fast, and you didn't have a powerful engine underneath you, but when you went somewhere, you got there under your own power.

"All right, you heard the lady, let's move out!" called Jack, taking the lead as he set the pace. Teal'c fell in behind Jack, Daniel after him, the three men jogging along the path that led up a slight hill. Sam watched them a moment, and pushed off on her bike. She had to stand up on the pedals to make it up the incline, but had no trouble on the flat stretches, and started to overtake her teammates on the downward slopes as she grew used to the old feeling of steering and riding a bike.

"Hey, Carter, I mean Sam, slow down a little will ya!" shouted Jack in annoyance from behind her. She glanced back; surprised to see how much further ahead she'd gotten from the rest of the team. They looked like they were struggling to keep up with her, or at least keep her in sight. A grin bloomed across her face. "No, sir!' she shouted back defiantly, imagining the grumbling the Colonel was no doubt subjecting Teal'c and Daniel to. Jack had slipped back into calling her Carter on their run, and when Daniel finally called him on it, Jack had complained that Sam kept addressing him as Sir. To Jack's displeasure, Daniel had pointed out that there was no particular reason for Sam to stop. It was common especially among the military subculture for children to address adults, even their parent, as sir. That's when Sam had decided to increase her speed a bit, distancing herself in more ways than one from the ensuing argument. Besides, there was a steep downward hill coming up, and despite a group of soldiers out road marching along the shoulders, the way ahead was fairly clear. Like the swing and the slide, riding a bike she now remembered also felt a lot like flying. It was all she remembered and more.

That is, at least until she saw the tell tale lights flashing on a patrol car ahead of her.

Checking briefly, Sam saw no other traffic except for her and a few soldiers marching in a small group well ahead of the car and she felt a fluttering in the pit of her stomach as she came down suddenly off the adrenaline high she'd just gotten. Almost reluctantly, she slowed to a stop as an MP stepped out of the parked vehicle and waved her to his side, making it clear it was she he had just flagged down if she'd had any doubts left.

"Hey there, little lady," the man addressed her as she got off her bike, lifting his sunglasses slightly to peer down his nose at her. "You were going pretty fast there," he admonished, looking somewhat amused, despite his attempt to look serious and forbidding.

Sam struggled to control her features, disbelief warring with annoyance. He couldn't possibly be pulling her over for speeding. She was riding a bicycle for crying out loud! Her teammates would be catching up soon, despite the distance she'd gained on them, and she'd hear no end of this little escapade. Trying to look contrite, Sam looked up at the man. "Oops?" she said with a little shrug, at a loss for words for the moment. The things she wanted to say wouldn't be appropriate coming out of a child's mouth, and spoken from an adult's would have just gotten her into more trouble. At any rate, it wasn't like it was the first time she'd been caught speeding. Best to say as little as possible and look remorseful.

The MP seemed satisfied with her mild response. "Where's your folks, kid?" he asked.

She pointed back up the road behind them. The rest of SG-1 had just reached the top of the hill. "My dad's back there, running with the rest of his team," she told him.

The officer nodded, folding his arms across his chest and leaning casually against his patrol car, radar gun still in hand. "Well, why don't we wait here for him," he suggested, obvious by his stance that he wanted to speak to her parent. Just her luck, none of the MPs on base were likely to know her, not having any connection with the secret goings on deep beneath Cheyenne Mountain. Sam stifled a sigh and waited a bit impatiently for her teammates to make it down the hill, staring at her tennis shoes in mortification as she stood next to her bike. The rest of SG-1 finally reached them and slowed to a stop, Jack and Daniel breathing slightly heavily. Teal'c as usual looked ready to tackle another few miles. All of them looked curious.

"She yours?" the MP asked nonchalantly, still leaning against the car sizing up the three men.

Jack sighed, shaking his head. Sam refused to look up. If she looked up, her CO would no doubt see the unrepentant look on her face. "She's mine. What's she done?" he asked, his tone infused with the proper attitude of parental resignation.

The MP straightened, lightly tapping his radar gun. "You should know, sir, that the speed limit is 10 miles an hour when passing troops in formation," he explained. As if to illustrate his words, a group of half a dozen soldiers passed by, all of them gazing inquisitively at their little group. Up the hill, a slightly larger group was visible just starting on their downward trek. "I clocked this little speed demon at 17 miles per hour."

Daniel whistled, taking a hasty elbow in his side from Jack, making him cough. Teal'c steadied the younger man with one large hand. The officer eyed them slightly, but returned his attention back to Jack.

"Additionally, she's wearing her reflective belt improperly for a civilian," the MP continued, and Sam looked up at that, a brief flinch crossing her features. She should have remembered, but she'd thought she'd been going for a run, and old habits died hard. "I could ticket you on either of those alone." The officer held up a brief hand as Jack opened his mouth to make an automatic protest. "Fortunately for you, I'm in a good mood, you'll just be getting a verbal warning this time."

Jack frowned, swallowing with obvious difficulty what he no doubt wanted to say, but appearing to struggle with what he should say.

Knowing the other man all too well, Daniel broke in before he could speak. "Uh, thanks. We won't let her be a menace to society anymore," he promised, just a little bit of disbelief over the whole situation leaking out. "We should let you get on your way."

The officer nodded, turning to get back into his vehicle. "Yeah, we wouldn't want to keep you from pulling over any kids on tricycles or anything," muttered Jack softly to the officer's turned back, in the end, unable to keep totally silent. Sam groaned inwardly. The Colonel was echoing her exact sentiments, but she at least knew when to keep quiet. It might explain why it was Jack O'Neill who actually ended up with more speeding tickets than she did despite his frequent teasing of her infamous lead foot.

"Jack," Daniel hissed, stepping on Jack's foot, causing the other man to yelp, hopping slightly. "Daniel!" he complained loudly, and Sam's shoulders drooped. Normally, she felt like her team was her family, but honestly, there were times when she wished she could pretend she didn't know them.

Now was one of them.

The MP turned, frowning slightly, obviously not having caught the muttered words but knowing by the two men's actions that he had likely just been insulted. He hesitated, looking unsure.

"O'Neill, this officer is merely performing his duty in ensuring that our troops our protected. Speeding can cause a chain reaction accident when troops are marching in formation along base roadways," Teal'c chimed in, his penchant for knowing and obeying the numerous base rules surfacing at a particularly bad moment. At his innocent words, the officer's frown grew.

"You know, I'm starting to think that maybe a verbal warning…" he began to say, hand reaching for his breast pocket where the ticket book lay, when Sam tugged urgently at his belt. It was high time she took action she decided, before her teammates dug them all into a very deep hole.

"I'm sorry I was going too fast, sir. I promise to try real hard not to ever again. Honest," she said, looking up at him, her eyes wide, face as serious as she could manage, silently willing the man to concentrate on her and not her well-meaning but somewhat indiscreet companions.

The officer's face softened as he looked down at the small girl standing by his side, one little fist still curled around his belt, and a brief smile touched his lips, his hand arrested mid-motion. "You will huh?" he asked, and Sam nodded vehemently, doing her best to look solemn and repentant. All of the man's sternness melted, his hand dropping to his side, ticket book forgotten. "Just try to slow it down in the future kiddo, Ok?" he told her gruffly, unsuccessfully hiding a smile behind the reprimand.

Sam looked up at the man and grinned, her expression genuine with relief. She sensed the rest of SG-1 gaping at her in disbelief, but ignored them, concentrating her charm for all she was worth on the young patrol officer. "Sir, yes sir!" she replied, snapping off a crisp, military perfect salute, which made the MP smile all the wider.

"Fix that belt, kid, and don't let me catch you speeding anymore," he admonished, patting her on the helmet as he opened his car door, fixing the other three men with an reproving glare, as if to tell them they should all take a lesson from the adorable, polite, and respectful little girl.

For her part, Sam occupied herself with adjusting her reflective belt as the MP pulled away, trying to ignore the scrutiny of her three teammates. Busily, she unclipped the belt, loosened it a bit, and slipped it over her head so it rested on one shoulder, slanting diagonally across her torso in the way civilian cyclists were required to wear them when riding on base. As soon as the car pulled off, Sam looked accusingly at her three teammates, embarrassment warring with annoyance. "What were you guys trying to do, get me a ticket or something?" she complained.

"Well, you didn't have much trouble getting out of it, did you?" Jack pointed out suavely, looking altogether much too amused.

"I know how to talk my way out of a ticket, sir," she said, trailing into a mumble as her cheeks turned crimson when embarrassment overpowered her short-lived annoyance. Flagged down for speeding on a bicycle, for all intents at the ripe age of five! The cosmos was out to get her, that was all there was to it. And just when she was starting to have fun! She ducked her head, hiding her face, needlessly fussing with the reflective stripe.

"Carter," Jack said slowly, already forgetting Daniel's earlier, and repeated, admonishment. "Were you always this much trouble when you were a kid?" he asked.

Still not looking up, Sam patted down the reflective stripe one more time and mounted her bike. Finally, she looked up, unable to hide the gleam in her eye. What was done was done, and there was still the return trip after all. "No, sir. I was much worse," she answered, pushing off. "Meet you back at the lot, last one there is a rotten egg!"

_A/N: As a special treat for all my loyal readers, having made you wait such a long time for the last update, I've put this one out a bit quicker. In fact, it's going out with the final revisions unbeta'd, but I do that to my betas a lot. They're great for putting up with me, thanks ladies! There's another chapter in the works as well. However, after that, I make no promises. I surprised even myself by getting as much done as I've managed over the last week. Perhaps it was all the well wishes you've all sent. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. As always, reviews are much appreciated, even if you just want to let me know your still there, reading and waiting for the next chapter!_


	14. Training

_Chapter 14: Training_

The race had been a tight one, considering the speed restrictions imposed. She had to ride the brakes going downhill, in order not to go too fast. She lost even more speed on the uphill due to the child's bike being much smaller than an adult's bike and not being equipped with gears, and had been unable to recover much of a lead on the flat stretches. It also didn't help that she had decided that it would be best to stay within sight of the rest of her team, which allowed the group, often running flat out, to catch up with her.

Still, she had just managed to pull into the lot ahead of the others, much to her satisfaction. Obviously, the Colonel had thought that with the bike, she'd be able to "keep up" at the very least, and Sam had just showed him that she'd been able to do more than just keep up. Of course, there had been a good bit more ribbing by all three men as they all caught their breath, the Colonel especially, about being caught speeding.

On a bicycle.

Sam decided it best not to enlighten them about some of her childhood escapades, starting at an even younger age. Of course, her father had likely already told the Colonel most of the good ones. There had also been a good deal of griping about the fact that the MP had stopped a speeding five-year-old in the first place, but eventually they came to the conclusion that the officer, having spied a small child careening down a steep hill with no parent in sight, had best stop the child and wait for an adult to explain things. Again, it reminded Sam of her complete lack of freedom. She couldn't even be out of visual range of an adult without raising the protective nature and curiosity of any adult in the near area.

Still, she had trouble keeping a smile off her face as she took a quick shower, and changed into another t-shirt and shorts, preparing to meet Teal'c in the gym. The exercise had been good, the ride more fun than she'd anticipated despite its ups and downs. Now afterwards, she felt energized and ready to take on anything, including a Jaffa that was probably at least ten times her size and current body weight, if not more.

That resolve lasted all of ten minutes on the mat. In that short span of time, Teal'c had pinned her down three times, and completely immobilized her a fourth time.

"Major Carter," Teal'c addressed her as he set her down. "You are reacting like you would in your normal state. You must concentrate on the strengths of this body, and use them to their full extent," he said.

Sam sighed, collapsing on the mat, shoulders slumped, elbows resting on crossed knees. "It's Sam, Teal'c, and that's the thing. What strength? Like this, I'm a ten-pound weakling."

Teal'c studied her a moment. "There is nothing weak about you, Samantha," he answered, pausing thoughtfully before sitting down on the mat across from her, adopting a similar pose. "Do you not recall the lessons you have learned in that of a smaller combatant against a larger, much stronger opponent?"

Brows creased, Sam pondered Teal'c's words. "Don't let them get a hold on you?" she asked, just to make sure she and Teal'c were on the same page.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied, inclining his head. "You lack strength, and size, but as a female, that has usually been the case when fighting a male opponent. The concept is not much different. You must also realize that in this body, you are smaller, more agile, more flexible. You have skills that will surprise your opponents. Samantha, you must use all your skills, for they are your strengths." Sam nodded, not the least offended by the frank and honest evaluation Teal'c had given her. He was right, as a female, she was usually smaller, lighter, and not as strong than most of those she fought, especially if they were male. But that didn't mean she hadn't won her share of hand to hand, one on one fights over the years.

"If you are ready," continued Teal'c, "We shall begin again."

Sam nodded, signaling her readiness by standing up and dropping into the familiar position of readiness. Body turned to present as little target as possible, up on the balls of her feet, fists and arms at the ready. Teal'c rose in one smooth movement, mirroring her position. They began to circle, sizing each other up, until Teal'c made a lunge. This time, instead of engaging him as Major Carter would have done, Sam ducked into a roll, narrowly missing his grasp and coming up behind him. She grinned in triumph, but her triumph was short lived as Teal'c turned quickly, coming after her again.

And so it went. Teal'c doing all he could to get a hold on her, and she dodging, twisting, ducking, and rolling to get out of the way. There were limits to her body, as well as advantages like Teal'c had said, and Sam was still learning. This time, she lasted a little over five minutes before Teal'c had her pinned again; face down on the mat with a knee in the middle of her back. He rose gracefully, giving her a hand up.

"Better," Teal'c granted, dropping back into the fighter's crouch. Sam swallowed a smile over the rare praise for he never gave it lightly, and followed suit, already moving in the ebb and flow of the dancer like motions of two combatants. Out of the periphery of her vision, she noticed they'd gained a small audience consisting of airmen and soldiers using the gym, or off duty personnel passing by. They shouted advice, encouragement to her, and friendly taunts to the big Jaffa, to watch his six against the "little girl." Sam tuned them out.

She didn't quite make it five minutes the second time, before Teal'c caught her. This time, he had her pulled up against him, his arm tight around her upper torso pinning her against his body. Sam went limp, and felt the big man's grip loosen. Surprised the tactic had worked she wasted no time in scraping his shin with her tennis shoe and driving one small elbow back into his midriff at the same time. Teal'c grunted, air escaping with a little oomph as he let her go. She hadn't pulled her punches, knowing Teal'c would be able to take whatever she could dish out in her diminished state. Obviously he hadn't expected that, and had been surprised enough to let her go.

Scrambling quickly on her hands and knees, Sam scurried to get away and to her feet, but felt a brief disturbance of air behind her as Teal'c moved. Too late, she tried to roll to the side to avoid him, but he was too fast. She hit the mat with force, Teal'c's large frame forcing the air out of her lungs with a little whoosh past lips compressed by her face partially squashed into the mat. Teal'c quickly removed his weight from her, kneeling at her side.

"Are you unharmed?" he asked, the concern in his voice the only concession he'd thus far made for her small size. Otherwise, he'd not held back as far as she could tell except with his blows, which he tended to do with her most of the time anyway, only letting in enough force to teach her, but not to injure. He believed that bruises and sore limbs helped remind the student of their mistakes, so that they were less likely to make them again the next time. Sam usually agreed in principal, but at her current size, Teal'c felt a lot heavier than she was used to.

Sam flopped onto her back gracelessly, with a little groan. "Teal'c, you gotta lay off that late night snacking. Umph," she grunted. "Yeah, I'm fine. You ok? I didn't pull my punches."

"I am well," Teal'c answered, looking far too smug for just having mashed a five year old into the mat. Jeers from the growing audience seemed to agree, a few offering to take on the Jaffa if he wanted to fight someone "his own size."

The two ignored the catcalls. "I'm willing to go again, if you are," Sam told him with a grin, offering a hand to him from her prone position.

"Indeed," Teal'c returned, a small answering smile of his own as he pulled her up easily, his large hand neatly encircling her small wrist.

"What about two against one?" a voice suggested, and Sam looked up to find the Colonel studying the two of them.

She frowned slightly. "And who's side would you be on, sir?" she asked warily, somehow knowing the answer.

Jack grinned, obviously anticipating the question. "His. Of course. I mean after all, if someone is trying to grab you, they probably won't be alone," he explained, and then shrugged. "That is, if you're up to it."

Sam narrowed her eyes slightly. Those were fighting words, and the Colonel obviously knew it. She had no idea how long he'd been watching the two of them, but she was sure it had been long enough to see how ill-matched they were. But still, he'd issued a challenge, and he was right. Chances were, there might be more than one attacker. "Fine, let's try it," she said. She'd learned how to fight multiple attackers, she just had to adapt is all.

Teal'c exchanged a look with the other man as he loosened up a bit, joining them on the mat. More jeers came from the bystanders. Obviously they seemed to think the two adult sized members of SG-1 were holding an unfair advantage, but Sam wasn't so sure. She was starting to realize things about this new, smaller body that she doubted either man knew, and intended to use them to her advantage.

The three engaged, moving in a bit of a circle, Sam dodging, having to move her feet more to keep her balance and literally dancing from one man's attempt to grab her to the other. And while both were trained fighters, Sam was beginning to get the sense that the two were also out of their element, fighting a much, much smaller opponent than they were used to. As a result, they weren't coordinating well with each other, which Sam picked up on right away. They should have been, but they weren't. They'd obviously not planned this little exercise ahead of time. The thing was, how to turn that to her advantage.

When the opportunity came, Sam almost missed it. The Colonel had just lunged towards her, his stance wide as he made a grab. Nimbly, she dodged, feinting to the right to make Teal'c think she was moving into his sphere. The big man leapt forward trying to lay hands on her. Expertly, and using this young, lithe body for all it was worth, Sam twisted and dove for the mat, sliding neatly between the Colonel's legs. Briefly, she wished she could see the no doubt surprised look on the man's face just before Teal'c overbalanced, having narrowly missed his quarry. The big man slammed right into O'Neill, taking the surprised Colonel down instead. Sam rolled out of the way just in time. Whoops and applause from the spectators told her that they had heartily approved of her little maneuver.

Sam gained her feet, grinning down at the two men who were still untangling themselves. "You guys ok?" she asked.

Jack waved a hand in the air, lying on his back. "Fine, just fine. I get hit by a freight train almost every day you know," he grumped.

"I am well, Major Carter," Teal'c replied, smoothly gaining his feet and looking less than winded.

"Show off," Jack muttered, struggling to his own feet with far less style.

"Good, now that we know everyone is ok, I think we should switch things up a bit," Sam said, unable to keep a smile from tugging at the corners of her lips. Jack narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

"And what would you have in mind?" he asked warily.

"Oh, nothing, just a kids' game really," she replied innocently.

Jack's eyebrows rose at that. "What game?" he asked.

The grin bloomed in full as she lunged toward the unsuspecting Colonel, slapping his hip with probably a bit more force than strictly necessary. "Tag! You're it!" she shouted, sidestepping him neatly and taking up refuge behind the solid bulk of Teal'c. Shouts and laughter wafted from the gathered observers at this change in events.

"What is this game, 'Tag'?" Teal'c asked, trying to turn and face Sam, but she moved, keeping the large man's body between her and the Colonel, who had dropped into a slight crouch, and was trying to maneuver a clear shot. At the question, Jack's eyes darted to the Jaffa's.

"It means, T-buddy, that whoever is 'it', as Carter, Sam here so elegantly put it, is the one that all must keep away from." Obviously feeling that was all the explanation that the man needed for the game, Jack changed direction and lunged. Teal'c however, thought much faster on his feet, and dodged adroitly out of the way. Expecting something of the nature from her CO, Sam had already put some distance between the pair.

"Run, Teal'c!" she shouted, darting into the small crowd around the edges of the exercise mat as Jack changed directions, coming after her instead. As she'd hoped, the spectators parted for her, and while some parted for her pursuer, others helpfully hindered him. She made her way around the room, using the taller adult bodies around her to shield her. She'd hoped that the Colonel would give up and go after Teal'c, but he seemed determined to pursue her. Briefly, Sam realized that her impromptu game had many elements of reality. If someone were after her, "It," so to speak, they might not give up, even in a crowd. With that in mind, she redoubled her efforts to lose her pursuer, darting around exercise equipment, people, diving under the bleachers, and emerging into the open space in front of the main entrance to the gym. To her dismay, Jack had already intuited her plan to use the hopefully more open area around the entrance to get away. However, neither of them had expected to see a familiar face in the doorway.

"Daniel!" Sam cried with delight, darting around the startled man, moving as he tried to turn and see what she was doing.

"Uh, guys, what are you doing?" he asked, adjusting his glasses with a free hand, the other holding a folder.

Assessing the situation, Jack seemed to realize that he'd not get to Sam. And so, he changed the rules. "We're playing a game, helping Sam with her hand-to hand skills," he explained, and then lunged forward, slapping the younger man on the chest. "Tag! You're it!" He cried gleefully, turning tail and running off to join Teal'c, who was watching the three in open amusement.

Sam backed quickly off, sidling away as Daniel stood in the doorway in confusion. "What?" he said.

"You're it," Sam reiterated, as she ran to join the rest of the team. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched an airman relieve Daniel of his folder, and give him a helpful nudge towards the rest of the team.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Daniel called to them, a slight note of challenge in his voice.

"Yep!" jeered the Colonel, doing a little dance to deliberately egg the other man on.

"Fine!" returned Daniel, and charged them, making the three of them scatter like a flock of birds, much to the amusement of those watching.

With all of SG-1 participating, and the help, or hindrance, of the bystanders depending on their preferences, (or side bets) the game was off. Daniel somehow managed to corner the Colonel, who in turn finally caught her out. Stalking her prey by hiding her small body behind equipment and adult sized bodies, Sam surprised Teal'c.

At some point, the game degenerated into a free-for-all that ended when Jack tripped over Daniel's feet, which caused the archeologist to stumble, landing on top of the man. Unable to stop her own momentum, Sam fell on top of Daniel. Somehow, Teal'c avoided the whole mess, adroitly sidestepping the pile and looking down at them.

"I no longer recall who is 'it'," he stated.

Jack groaned. "I don't know, and I don't care, but someone needs to get off of me," he complained from his prone position at the bottom of the heap. Daniel grunted, rolling off and taking Sam with him. With a mumbled apology, he sat up, legs bent, and pulled Sam into a sitting position, propping her against his bent legs. Sam dropped her head back against Daniel's knees, small chest still heaving from the recent excitement. Jack flopped over onto his back, with an exaggerated moan, partial pain, partially relief.

"Does this mean we have no winner from this game?" asked Teal'c curiously.

Shaking his head, Jack sat up. "No, we're all winners this time," he said slightly breathlessly, landing a light punch on Daniel's shoulder and a giving Sam's knee a little pat as he levered himself to his feet. Teal'c reached down, holding out his hands, and helped both Sam and Daniel up at the same time.

"I thought you guys were showing Sam some self-defense tactics," Daniel wondered, absently smoothing down the front of his fatigues.

"We were," Jack replied.

"By helping her excel at playing Tag?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows lifted in question.

Sam paused in tucking in her shirt. "Actually, I learned a lot about eluding pursuit, and not letting someone get a hold on me," she admitted, slightly to her own surprise. She'd really just intended to level out the playing field with her change in the program, wanting to get a little more room to maneuver away from her two attackers than just the exercise mat.

"See?" Jack defended. "She learned something," he announced, turning to the now milling crowd, waving a finger at them. "And let that be a lesson to all of you. Tag is an educational game." He turned back to SG-1 as the spectators, realizing the show was over, started to go back about their business. "We should think about adding Tag to the training program," he said. Sam ducked her head to hide a smile, while Daniel rolled his eyes heavenward and Teal'c watched silently in amusement.

Daniel shook his head. "I will never understand you, Jack."

"Ah," the older man answered, slinging one arm around the younger companionably. "But you like me anyway."

"Like?" Daniel objected, ducking to dislodge the arm and at the same time retrieve the folder he'd been carrying when he'd been drawn into their game. "Who said anything about like? I'm only hanging around you because you still owe me five dollars," he returned lightly.

"What five dollars?" Jack demanded, looking offended. "I don't owe anyone five dollars."

Daniel sighed. "From lunch last week," he replied with an air of slightly disaffected patience.

"Oh. Lunch. Hey, I'm hungry, let's go grab dinner," Jack suggested, neatly changing the subject.

"Great idea," Daniel answered. "You can buy mine," he said.

Jack stopped. "Ah, if only I could, but you see…" he started, slinging his arm back around the younger man. Behind them, Sam smothered a giggle, exchanging a look with Teal'c.

_A/N: I'm glad you loved the speed demon side of Sam. It was a lot of fun to write, and the getting pulled over a bit hard to resist considering my own recent misadventure. 55 in a 35 mph zone. (Oops?) A warning only, so I suppose my lucky day, if you called being caught speeding lucky. Lol. And given the sheer number of rules and regulations with living on base, (I recently visited my friend, who's husband is stationed at Ft. Drum, and had to enquire about rules for cyclists when on base…) it is completely conceivable to get pulled over for going to fast on any sort of "vehicle." They take the safety of their troops quite seriously, hence the 10 mph restriction if troops are "road marching." And it's quite easy to go much faster on a bicycle, especially downhill! You can also get ticketed for not wearing a helmet, or the right sort of protective equipment, and other such. Even children over the age of twelve can get tickets (under twelve and their parents get the ticket!) _

_Anyway, hope you enjoy this little chapter just as much, I enjoyed writing some rare Sam/Teal'c interactions._


	15. Tactics and Cover Stories

_Chapter 15: Tactics and Cover Stories_

Over dinner, Daniel divulged the contents of the folder he'd been carrying, revealing that it held the enlarged and detailed blueprints of the school Sam had found online, delivered to him when he'd run into Walter Harriman on the way to look for the rest of SG-1. It also contained the enlarged public directory of the school as well as detailed topographical maps and satellite images of the school and it's surrounding areas that Sam had found. Walter was nothing less but efficient. The cafeteria table, encumbered as it was with trays and plates, was soon pronounced insufficient to their needs, and after dinner with Jack still carrying a partially eaten slice of pie, the group relocated to the Colonel's office. Not long after, the furniture was pushed back and the walls were buried beneath the plans, tacked up so that all could study them in greater detail.

Colored markers were produced and entrances, windows, fire escapes, maintenance access, ventilation, and electrical supply were all identified and marked. Standing on a chair, Sam highlighted several possible insertion points for SG teams, should the need arise, and Daniel pointed out a few internal details he'd picked up from his tour of the inside of the school, such as the main office, Sam's classroom, and his own small shared office. Jack and Teal'c marked out areas around the school where they could hide surveillance crews. The plan had been to send Sam and the others in with a wire, if possible, despite the risk of the questions it would raise should it be discovered on one of them. However, early recon by specialists from the SGC had ascertained that there was some sort of low level electrical jamming going on. It not only masked the building and its surroundings from scans and probes from space or on the ground, but interfered with any wireless devices. Landline telephones and cable had no doubt been insulated, but cell phones, pagers, and any sort of radio were rendered ineffective.

The R & D department was working on the problem, and thus far had only managed to come up with a crude imitation of an Asgard communicator. They would not be able to speak with one another through it, but it would function as an emergency beacon for the rest of SG-1 and the backup surveillance crews that would be nearby at all times. If any one of them got into trouble, they need only activate the device, and everyone would know who it was and approximately where to find them. Their scientists were working on disguising the beacons as innocuous everyday items, and early tests showed that the devices would work as promised. They hoped to have them ready by next week, when school started.

Studying the blueprints, and shifting his gaze to the published map of the school, Daniel found an anomaly. "Jack, look at this," he said, finger pointing to a large, underground space on the architectural blueprints marked "Storage." Daniel then moved his finger to the public directory of the school, stabbing at a place in the basement level. On the directory, the vast chamber, at least the size of a gymnasium if not larger given the dimensions marked on blueprints, was labeled as a maintenance closet, and no indication that the space was any larger than the closet it purported to be. The chamber was at the edge of the building and obviously subterranean. There were no other rooms on that level to indicate that a chamber the size on the blueprints existed there.

"Now that's interesting," Jack murmured, moving to stand next to the archeologist.

Daniel shook his head, deep in thought. "They took me on a tour of the whole school Jack, and I never saw anyplace as big as what's on those blueprints. In fact, all I remember of the basement is that it was mostly storage and janitorial closets, and some office space. They just wanted to show me where to get more supplies if I needed anything like pencils or whatever," he said.

"O'Neill," Teal'c asked, "Do you believe that something significant might be concealed in this place? If so, it is possible that I may be able to gain entrance, given my cover as janitor. I will have access to all areas of the school."

The Colonel nodded, still looking at the blueprints and directory tacked up on the wall. "It definitely looks worth checking out, but we should take time to scope the place out first, make sure we're all secure in our positions," Jack said.

"Speaking of security," Sam broke in, "I think we all need to work on our cover stories a bit, sir."

The rest of SG-1 turned to look at her, and Sam shrugged. "I might be able to get away with 'sir,'" she explained, "But I definitely can't slip and call you Colonel." Looking slightly apologetic, she continued. "Sir, you can't call me Carter anymore, it would just look too odd, especially since it's not even going to be my last name anymore. It's Sam. Or Samantha," she added, one shoulder lifting in resignation as she looked at Teal'c.

The big man nodded, accepting the mild rebuke. "I am now Thomas Murray, Samantha. None of you should call me Teal'c."

"Well, given my part in this mission," Sam said, pointing at her small body, still standing on the chair so she was more or less at eye level with the rest of her team, "I can't call you Thomas. It will have to be Mr. Murray." She turned to look at Daniel. "You too, Daniel. It has to be Mr. Paxton from now on."

"Actually, for class, it will be Monsieur Paxton," Daniel shrugged sheepishly. "I guess we all have a bit to work on," he finished. Thus far, he'd mostly been chiding Jack who seemed to be having the most trouble in not addressing Sam by her first name, falling back to using her surname or rank. He'd no doubt forgotten just as she had that it would look odd for her to be addressing adults, especially a teacher, without some sort of title.

"And you won't be able to call me Jack," the Colonel helpfully added. "I'm the parent of one of your students, the two of us on a first name basis smacks of too much familiarity."

"Mr. Lewis it is," Daniel agreed. "We should stick with a professional relationship, it will be less likely then for people to recognize us if they see us together outside of the school," he added.

Jack nodded. "We'd probably be best meeting here on base, or at the place Sam and I will be staying. Both are far enough away from the school to make it unlikely we'd run into anyone from the school that might see us together. Still, we probably shouldn't go out in public anymore together, unless absolutely necessary."

"Speaking of where we're staying, sir," Sam asked, "When are we moving in?"

"The General says the place will be ready by Friday. That will give us some time to settle in before school starts, especially since it's a long weekend," Jack explained. Monday was Labor Day, and school started Tuesday, the first two days were half days for the Lower School students. The Providence School offered a full day kindergarten, which is what Sam would be attending. Additionally, the school separated out the age groups into a Lower School for the youngest students, a Middle School, and an Upper School for high school students. The three groups arrived and dismissed on a staggered schedule, with the oldest students arriving earliest and leaving first, giving them more time for after school activities as well. Sam's school, as the youngest group, would arrive last, and leave latest except on the first two days, where they would be dismissed early before lunch. The older students in the Middle and Upper schools were starting back with full days.

"While we're talking about Friday," spoke a female voice from the doorway, interrupting their conversation, "I need to see the two of you before you leave," Janet Fraser said, looking at Jack and Sam. "We need to go over IM injections with the two of you."

Sam frowned slightly at her friend. "Can't I just give the shots to myself?" she asked, "I already know how to give them," she added.

Janet shook her head. "No, Sam. I'm sorry, but at your current size, the dosage we've worked out combined with the viscosity of the compound, is just too much to go in any muscle but the dorsogluteal. Because of that, you'll need someone else to administer the shots, and it's not practical for you to come back here every three days for the booster. That makes Colonel O'Neill the best candidate for giving them. At your present size, the dorsogluteal site the largest and safest muscle to use for both of you."

"I thought it lasted four days," Sam argued, for the moment, not wanting to have to think about the Colonel giving her shots every few days. She also had an inkling of exactly what muscle the dorsogluteal was, and didn't much want to think about that either.

"It does," nodded the doctor. "But it's breaking down on the fourth day, therefore it's safer to give the booster dose every three days. We can give the first dose Friday morning before you leave, and Monday you can give it in the afternoon, to work it back toward a more convenient time in the evening if you prefer."

"Whoa, wait a second," Jack asked, looking confused. "You want me, to give Carter, I mean Sam, shots every couple days? Should I really be handling great big needles?" He seemed to be forgetting that he handled on a regular basis many things much sharper and definitely more deadly then a few little syringes. He also seemed to be forgetting he already knew how to give injections as well, just as Sam did from basic field training.

Sam flinched slightly at Jack's phrasing and obvious discomfort, but Janet narrowed her eyes at the man, more than used to his stubbornness. "Yes," she told him shortly. "I'll see you in the infirmary tomorrow, oh nine hundred. We'll take a little refresher and practice drawing up medication and giving injections to oranges before I let you try on Sam Friday morning before you leave. You already know how to do this Colonel, now don't be late." With that, the petite woman turned on her heel and left, they could here her footsteps clicking down the hall, receding in the distance.

Sam turned to study the schematics intently, in actuality, hiding her flaming cheeks. The last thing she'd expected was to have to depend on the Colonel to give her the shots that masked her naquadah laden bloodstream from detection. Particularly given the Colonel's dislike for "big and honkin' needles." Obviously, it was the last thing the Colonel had expected as well. While she was fully confident that her CO was perfectly capable of administering the injections, it was one more thing to add to the growing list of things she could no longer do independently. She was distracted from any further musings by a huge, face-splitting yawn.

Taking the yawn for a cue, Daniel dropped his marker on Jack's desk and stretched his arms over his head. "It's late," he said. "I've got early morning meetings tomorrow."

Jack sighed slightly, clearly thinking about his appointment with Janet Fraiser in the morning. "We should all probably get some shut eye. And don't forget, we need to update the General on what we've learned and SG-1's mission readiness tomorrow at thirteen-hundred."

With that, the group broke up, Sam smothering another yawn as she hopped down from the chair and bidding a muffled goodnight to the rest of her team. She had an early morning as well, with Sergeant Nichols.

* * *

As planned, Sam spent the morning with Nichols, this time being coached on losing some of her athletic abilities. Surprisingly, Sam found it more tiring to remember to be awkward and act like she was new to skills than it was to just do them as she normally would. The Sergeant suggested that Sam watch her classmates, and choose a few children who seemed neither overly accomplished, nor particularly clumsy, and emulate them, keeping her on the class average and therefore not requiring any special attention from the instructor. After her little physical workout, she was occupied mentally in filling pages with letters and numbers, concentrating on making it look like she had to struggle to make them uniform and stay within the lines, just as a child learning to write might do. Again, Nichols advised her to observe the children around her, and try to mimic how they held their pencils or crayons, occasionally gripping implements wrong or making certain figures like the letter S or the number five backwards. The only thing they didn't work on was Sam's artwork, which Nichols, somewhat to Sam's dismay, pronounced adequate.

After her somewhat exhausting morning, both mentally and physically, Sam met the rest of her team for lunch, before they headed to the conference room to brief the General on their progress. She found the room less intimidating, and climbed into one of the chairs without hesitating, comfortably tucking her legs under her to add those few extra inches.

The Colonel brought the General up to speed on their reconnaissance with she, Daniel, and Teal'c making the occasional contribution. Hammond frowned over the revelation of the underground anomaly and agreed with Jack's assessment to establish themselves first before attempting to gain entry to the area.

"I may not have mentioned at the first briefing," added the General after a brief frown at the two different layouts, "But our mole only knows of two insertions being made at the school. Dr. Jackson, and Teal'c. As far as anyone knows at the school, I have made a rather generous donation to the school upon my granddaughter's late admittance to the kindergarten class. Fortunately, there was an unexpected opening, or no amount of bribery would have gotten Major Carter a place in the class."

There was a brief lull of silence around the table, before Jack had to break it. "So… Grandpa?" he remarked altogether a little too innocently, and Hammond speared the younger man with a level gaze that made Jack sink deeply into his chair, looking like he'd just swallowed his foot.

"Actually, Colonel," he said, "It would me more like Father to you…" he coughed slightly. "Or rather, Father-in-law," he finished, his tone infused with just the slightest hint that were Jack ever to address him as Dad or worse, grandpa, he'd find himself so far buried in redundant paperwork that he'd have no time to think of anything else. Jack was busy staring down at his notes, and therefore missed the glint of amusement in the General's eyes, particularly when he'd mentioned that perhaps they weren't related by blood, but by marriage instead.

"If that will be all?" the General asked around the table. Everyone nodded, and the meeting broke up.

The evening was a quiet one. Most of the clothing and school supplies that had been purchased for Sam had never been unloaded from the SUV. The only things she'd removed were a small assortment of casual attire for off-base trips and the simulated uniforms she'd been wearing while on base. She could leave the uniforms, and some of the casual things. It was unlikely that she wouldn't be returning to base on a regular basis. This Goa'uld was savvy. She'd been hiding under the SGC's radar for over a decade now, and it was unlikely they'd sniff her out overnight. Likely, they were looking forward to at least several weeks of undercover operations to pinpoint her and flush her out.

Sam had just folded the last of the things she'd decided to take with her and added them to the duffel already containing the pencils and large ruled papers she'd been practicing with during her lessons with Sergeant Nichols when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find the Colonel standing there. "Sir?" she asked.

Jack shrugged slightly, hands in his pockets. "I know team night is usually every other Friday when we are on world and off duty, but considering that this mission is likely to be longer term than usual," he said, unknowingly echoing her recent thoughts, "I thought we should have a bit of a team night tonight." He shrugged again, eyes traveling over her head to the bed where the one small duffel rested. "That all you packing?" he asked.

Returning his shrug, Sam gave him a half smile. "Most everything never got unpacked, sir. I'm leaving a few things here besides." She looked around her small quarters, Spartan and military, with only a smattering of personal effects to identify the woman who owned them. She didn't spend much time in here except to sleep occasionally when conditions warranted she stay on base. "I'm all done here, and don't have any plans for the night if that's what you're asking. Not like I can go anywhere at any rate, at least not by myself. What's the plan for tonight?" she asked.

"Movies, and popcorn of course," Jack replied. "We were gonna meet in Teal'c's quarters."

Groaning, Sam flinched. "Not Star Wars?" she asked in dismay. Whenever Teal'c chose the movie, he almost inevitably chose one of the Star Wars films, no matter how many times they'd watched it.

Jack shook his head quickly. "No, Daniel threatened mutiny if he picked that, besides it's MY turn to pick," he replied, bouncing slightly and suddenly looking cheerful.

Sam was not reassured, especially since she'd already agreed to attend. Still, she could always cite something technical and impressive sounding in her lab that she'd just remembered, despite the fact that she'd already pretty much completed or delegated anything in progress. "And what did you pick, sir?" she asked warily.

He grinned. "Big," he answered proudly. Sam shook her head.

"Cute, sir, real cute," she commented.

The grin widened. "Cute I'm leaving up to you, Sam. Now come, daughter of mine, a great film awaits us," he commanded, tone laced with gentle levity.

Sam shook her head with a sigh. "Yes, Dad," she muttered, but ducked her head to hide an amused smile as she closed the door to her quarters and followed her CO to Teal'c's room. Since their conversation last night, Jack seemed to have lost any lingering traces of discomfort over acting as her temporary guardian, and had simply directed his usual command presence into that of a father figure. Theirs may perhaps seem a bit more military than the usual parent/child relationship, but given Jack's own military background from the cover stories and their close proximity to several military installations in the area, that would be rather unremarkable. Sam was surprised to find that their new roles were not too far different from their normal commander and subordinate role. Aside from names and titles primarily, Jack was still in charge of the mission and still her superior officer. In public at least, she still had to do what he told her. Her thoughts cut off as they reached their destination. Daniel was already there and judging by the smell, he and Teal'c had already started making popcorn.

"Hey Sam, Jack. Teal'c is getting more popcorn. Heads up you two," Daniel greeted as she entered behind the Colonel. Sam brought her hands up just in time to catch the hurled packet of Reese's Pieces and Jack caught the Snicker bar. Daniel's aim had improved greatly over the years.

"Merci, Monsieur Paxton," Sam thanked him with a grin.

Jack gestured vaguely in her direction as he took the more comfortable of the semi-comfortable chairs Teal'c had added to his quarters when all of them had started taking turns hosting team night. Often, it had been more convenient to hold their gatherings in Teal'c's on base quarters, given that their unpredictable schedules often had them going on missions the next morning, depending on gate availability and time of day on the destination planet. "Yeah, what she said," Jack pronounced, reaching for one of the full bowls of popcorn on a side table.

"Greetings Samantha, Mr. Lewis," Teal'c told them, coming through the door with several more bags of microwave popcorn which he added to the remaining bowls on the table. The TV and DVD player on the small stand in the corner were already on, the screen running the repeating scene selection menu.

Jack nodded in return, but Sam smiled, accepting the diet soda and bowl of popcorn Teal'c handed her as she kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable on the bed. "Thank you Mr. Murray," she said, the unfamiliar name sounding odd, but SG-1 had made a great effort the last day to get as much practice as possible in using their aliases before the group made it's inevitable split the next day. Obviously, the coming split was another reason for Jack's suggestion for an impromptu team night. After tonight, they would have to spend most of the time pretending not to know each other so well.

"You are welcome Samantha," Teal'c returned, settling as was his custom on the plush rug, his choices of candy, juice, and popcorn in reach on the floor in front of him.

Daniel also removed his shoes, and joined Sam on the bed, there being only one chair of any comfort in the room, and Jack usually claimed it citing his bum knee. Companionably, he leaned against the wall, legs outstretched, while Sam found herself sprawling on the bed on her stomach, her much smaller body able to fit across the bed in an unaccustomed position. Usually, she leaned against the wall next to Daniel. She nudged the popcorn bowl to rest between them as Teal'c cued up the movie. The two scientists generally shared a bowl, and Daniel offered her some of his Skittles while they waited for the movie to start.

It had been years since Sam had watched the movie, and despite some startling reflections in her own current situation, she soon got lost in the humorous nature of the film. Still, her child body knew best, and before the credits were rolling, she was dosing off, head on Daniel's thigh, having shifted position sometime during the film.

Vaguely, she was aware of the ending music, and the hushed male voices of her team as the DVD was turned off. She felt Daniel shift, and could only summon enough energy to mourn the loss of his body heat and her comfortable pillow as he slid out from under her. Dimly, she felt the bed move as he got off, and heard some more murmuring before she felt hands gently gathering her up. Before she could protest, she was lifted up and settled so that her cheek rested against a strong shoulder. Inhaling slightly, she smelled the telltale traces of Daniel's aftershave.

"I'm ok," she murmured sleepily, "I can walk," she protested, even as her eyes sagged closed.

"Don't worry about it," Daniel said softly, his breath warm against the top of her head as he patted her back gently with one hand in a soothing gesture, shifting her body to one hip with the other.

"S'ok," Sam mumbled, finally giving in to the inevitable and letting her eyes slide closed, her head securely tucked under Daniel's chin. "Just this once."

He may have replied, but it was lost in sleep.

_A/N: Almost a month since the last update… Almost. So I hope the little touchy-feely at the end was awww enough to make up for it. As well as a little teamy goodness. For those of you eagerly awaiting Sam's first days of school, I'm still working on a lot of those details. And there a LOT of details that need working on… (No worries though, I've got at least two professionals that work with young kids giving me loads of advice and conflicting information… j/k) But this chapter is Thursday night, another will be dealing with Sam and Jack on Friday, and one more to cover the weekend (Labor Day) So for those of you counting, school starts on Tuesday, which should be Ch 18 with any luck._

_I hope I will be able to update soon, but there is so much to do. I never seem to have more than a day or two off in a row and those days are usually packed with things to do. I'm also volunteering my professional services for a weekend camp in the next few weeks for children with chronic kidney disease. It's only thanks to the recent monsoon we've been having the last week or two (combined with a few days off in a row!) that actually gave me time to sit down with Elementary. Because I will admit, I'm just as eager as you folks for Sam to experience kindergarten!_

_Anyway, I keep meaning to put out there, but we all have memories of school, or have children going through school, and in many of my stories I've asked for reader input, so don't forget, if there's something you'd like to see Sam experience or have to deal with, any stories or anecdotes you'd like to share that might spark ideas, you can drop me a line. I do have several evil things in mind for Sam, but I'm always open for suggestions!_

_And lastly… not any updates on my cats recently, for those familiar with the many adventures of Sammy and Dragon. I think they are now mature, 3 and half-year-old kitties, and as such spend much of their time parked upstairs under the skylight baking in the sun, and slightly less time getting into mischief. We are going to the vet next week for their annual check up. Dragon is going to take a new combination of sedatives, but Sammy will hopefully be his usual sunshine self. Wish me luck; giving pills to Dragon is always an adventure in itself! After the pills, he'll probably go into hiding, and do his best to avoid capture, which makes actually getting to the vet rather interesting. _


	16. Moving Day

_Chapter 16: Moving Day_

Sam awoke the next morning as usual of late, feeling refreshed and with only the lingering traces of memory from the previous evening. She was starting to get used to waking up wearing her clothes from the night before.

A quick shower and change into a fresh set of clothes, another set of child sized BDUs this time in Air Force Blue, and Sam made her way to the commissary to grab breakfast. She found the rest of SG-1 already at a table, and brought her cereal and muffin to join them. Daniel had brought her a mug of decaf from his private stock, and she accepted the steaming cup with a smile. None of them had been there long, judging by the amount of uneaten food still on plates.

"Sam, we should be ready to sign out of here by noon," the Colonel addressed her, and Sam looked up.

"Uh, Dad, don't forget that Janet's expecting us in the infirmary soon," she reminded him, making him blink at the title. Well, they were all making an effort at remembering each other's aliases, especially the Colonel, so it seemed only fair for her to make some attempts at the same as well.

For his part, Jack stabbed at his oatmeal with unnecessary force. "Don't worry, I'll be there," he grumbled.

Conversation changed to other matters until the conclusion of the meal. With obvious reluctance, the Colonel got to his feet and followed her to the infirmary. Sam was feeling equally loath. It wasn't that she didn't trust Jack explicitly; they all had training in the administration of intra-muscular injections and had on occasion done the service for one another in times of crisis. But it was one thing to administer morphine to a wounded comrade in the field and quite another to be giving regular injections when it wasn't an emergency.

They arrived at the infirmary all too soon for both their comfort. Janet seemed to sense the uneasiness radiating from the two of them and was the embodiment of calm, all cool professionalism, ushering them into a curtained off cubicle.

"Ok then, Colonel O'Neill, you remember how we practiced drawing up medications yesterday. Here is the compound, you'll need to draw up 2 cc's," she said briskly, motioning to the table where supplies were already laid out. "Make sure you roll the vial between your palms first to mix it, like we did yesterday," she continued, and Sam tried not to look too closely at the size of the needle. It seemed a bit larger than she was used to, and she wasn't afraid of needles by any means.

"Uh, Janet," Sam spoke up hesitantly, drawing the Doctor's attention. "This dorsogluteal muscle?" she asked, trailing off significantly and trying to keep her mind off the needle.

"Ah, yes," Janet replied. "That would be the muscle right here," she explained, reaching down to pat gently at the back of Sam's right hip.

Sam sighed, and boosted herself up onto the nearby bed. "I was afraid of that," she answered, resolutely turning her back on the Doctor and the Colonel while rising to her knees once on the bed.

"Afraid of what?" Jack said, and then stopped, as he turned and noticed what she was doing. "Ah, is that really necessary?" he asked as Sam loosened her belt, staring at the wall.

Fortunately, Janet took over, pulling the curtain fully closed around the three of them and taking the reluctant Colonel firmly in hand. "Completely. Sam, it would probably be best if you lay down when you're ready. Now Colonel, once you've drawn up the right dose, make sure there's no air bubbles, like we went over. Good, flick the syringe just like that, now…"

Sam let the words wash over her, as she bared the correct area, flopping face down on the bed, thankful at least that this position allowed her to hide her flaming cheeks. Her other cheeks were being treated to a light draft despite the closed curtains. She felt a slight disturbance as the two approached her prone position having finished readying the injection, but chose not to lift her face to see.

"Ah, Doc, are you sure I'm the right person to do this?" she heard Jack ask hesitantly. "I mean, she's so small… what if I miss or something," he said doubtfully. Sam knew he was just nervous, but his worries were not going very far to reassure her own nerves. She was after all, the one on display here. Biting her lip, Sam struggled to keep silent, and forced her body to stay still and remain on the bed despite all her instincts to the contrary.

"You'll do fine, now feel for the landmarks like I told you," Janet directed, and after a moment, Sam felt Jack's warm callused hand probing softly, and had to fight the reflexive jerk the contact caused. "You'll need to press more firmly if you want to feel what you need to," she heard Janet directing, "Like this," the Doctor stated, and the pressure increased as Janet added her hand to Jack's. Sam squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face deeper into her pillowed arms. "Feel that? Good," the Doctor continued, "Now divide the area into quadrants, and you can inject the needle right here." A brief touch from Janet's cool, sure fingers. "Here's the alcohol, and it's just like the orange."

The alcohol was cool on her skin, and Sam felt Janet place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently in reassurance as Jack muttered "Yeah, right, just like the orange… just like the orange." Sam struggled to try and relax, but she felt tense as a coiled spring.

"On three, Colonel, and Sam, you take a deep breath. Ready? One. Two. Three." Sam inhaled sharply as the needle penetrated, and Jack jerked slightly in surprise, Janet's other hand preventing too much movement having expected the start. The hand the doctor had left on Sam's shoulder gave another little squeeze and Sam released her breath, exhaling and still working on trying to relax. "Good," she heard Janet say, though she wasn't sure if the compliment was directed more at her or the Colonel. "Now, pull back the plunger, make sure there's no blood… good. Now depress the plunger."

Despite her resolve not to make a sound, Sam couldn't stop her body from tensing further nor hold back the hiss of pain that escaped her lips as the compound was injected. It hadn't been comfortable when they'd tried it on her adult self, but for some reason, it burned like hell this time. The pressure from Janet's hand on her shoulder increased again as she felt Jack hesitating, the burning ebbing slightly as he stopped. "It's alright," Janet spoke encouragingly to both of them, and the burning resumed in full as Janet no doubt assisted the Colonel's hand in depressing the plunger. Sam bit the pillow. "There, it's done, wait a moment, and withdraw the needle, that's right." The touch of a cotton swab as the needle was removed. She heard Jack drop the needle in the sharps box, but for the moment was disinclined to move, content to keep her face hidden.

"That was good," she heard Janet tell Jack. "Now remember to alternate sites each time, one hip and then the other. I'll send the supplies with Sam, you no doubt have things to do before the two of you clear out of here," she said in clear dismissal, and Jack wasted no time in beating a retreat, the curtains rustling with his hasty departure. Janet touched Sam's shoulder again. "You can move now, you know," she said, sounding slightly amused.

Sam groaned, returning to a kneeling position to get her pants in order. "It feels like someone just lodged a small rock in my butt, and you tell me to move," she complained, turning her head and glaring up at the Doctor as she refastened her belt. "You could have warned me," she added, moving gingerly to get off the bed. "It didn't feel this bad before, when we tried it in the lab," she admitted, testing her weight on her right leg. She might just be able to walk without a noticeable limp. Maybe.

Janet looked apologetic as she gathered up a few things, placing them in a brown paper bag. "Sorry Sam, but your muscles are a lot smaller now. That's why I thought we needed the bigger dorsogluteal muscle. Anywhere else would have felt a whole lot worse. It should feel better later today, and if it's too bothersome, you can take some Tylenol or Motrin. Wait a minute, and I'll get you some. It will have to be elixir though. You don't weigh enough for regular tablets and I don't have any chewable ones on hand."

Sam sighed as Janet went to fetch the medications, writing out directions for each on dosing and added them to the bag. "Oh well, as long as it works the way it's supposed to, I can put up with it I guess."

The Doctor gave her a soft smile as she handed her the bag. "Make sure you and the Colonel keep an eye out for signs of local inflammation, or any unusual symptoms. We haven't used the substance long-term, so have no way of knowing if regular use can cause any problems. Children are different too; we had to estimate the dosing and your changed body might react differently than your adult body did. I'll draw blood work at your next weekly check up as a precaution." Sam groaned at the reminder. They'd be coming back to base at least once a week, for Janet to check on her, and for SG-1 to get together, compare notes and update the General.

"Shouldn't I be watching Saturday morning cartoons instead of getting checkups?" Sam asked cheekily as she tried a few steps, and decided she could stand it.

"They don't play cartoons on just Saturday anymore Sam, they play them all the time, 24 hours a day, so you won't miss anything" the Doctor returned just as lightly. "Now, I'll see you next Saturday, and not a day earlier, you hear?" she said in clear admonishment as Sam headed for the exit. Despite her friend's attempts, Sam didn't miss the underlying tones of concern.

"I'll be careful Janet, I promise," Sam promised as she paused briefly in the doorway, turning to smile at her friend.

Janet smiled back. "I'll hold you to that. Good luck Sam."

"Thanks Janet, see you next week," she said, momentarily distracted by the knowledge that she wouldn't be seeing her friend, or most of the folks at the SGC, on a regular near-daily basis anymore, at least until this mission was complete. It was a necessary severance of contact, but still, she had grown comfortable learning about her new body on base, surrounded by people who knew both who and what she really was despite outward appearances. Looking back up, she realized that Janet had already turned away, busying herself with neatening up the leftover supplies from their little lesson, no doubt to hide her worries from her friend. She turned back around facing the hall, respecting the other woman's privacy. Within a few hours, she and the Colonel would be leaving the base to take up their roles as Father and Daughter, she no more to the world than another anonymous child. Was she ready?

She sure hoped so.

* * *

An hour or so after lunch, Sam was ensconced in the SUV, back in the annoying booster seat. She'd been able to take her farewell of Teal'c, but Daniel was still at the faculty meetings at the school. They'd have to be content with what she remembered of the previous night and their quick parting this morning as Daniel rushed off to his meeting, as usual, running slightly late. Her face colored slightly as she vaguely recalled falling asleep last night, and she settled back in her seat. The movement jarred her tender hip and she winced, trying to shift her position to ease her aching backside as the Colonel turned off the mountain base roads and onto the highway. She hoped that Janet was right, and that she'd feel better later. She had tasted the elixirs and found them both sickly sweet with a bitter aftertaste. For now, she decided, she could stand the soreness over giving in to swallow the thick and goopy child's medicine.

"You ok back there, er, Sam?" Jack asked from the front seat, and Sam looked up to catch his gaze in the rearview mirror. His eyes shifted back to the road and Sam sighed.

"I'm fine," she told him. "Just a little… sore," she admitted reluctantly.

"Oh," Jack replied. "It, ah, wasn't anything…" he asked, but Sam interrupted.

"It was nothing you did, sir. Janet says my muscles are just smaller now," she explained, resisting the urge to shift again as she caught the Colonel's eyes back on her in the mirror.

His face relaxed at her words. "I remember when Charlie got his shots, he'd usually be sore for a day or so, then he'd be fine."

"I'm sure I'll feel better later today, sir. If not, Janet gave me some meds." She grimaced again, remembering the sample taste she'd tried of each medicine in curiosity, and glanced back out the window to hide her face. If she had anything to say about it, those medications would stay in the brown paper bag. She decided to change the subject. "So, this place we'll be staying at, have you seen it yet?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. "Nope, but Hammond says the place is fully stocked, furnished, and provisioned," he told her.

Sam's eyebrows rose. "No grocery shopping?"

"Not unless they missed something important. Like beer, or pizza," he replied cheerfully.

She chuckled softly. "If they missed something so obvious, we'll have to find out who did the stocking and file a complaint," she said in amusement.

"Definitely," Jack agreed.

They lapsed into silence, and Sam was content to peer out the window as they drove along the highway, the scenery a blur. Jack seemed to sense her pensiveness, and didn't press her for conversation. They'd have the whole weekend alone, to plan and practice after all. For now, her thoughts were occupied with her role in the upcoming mission. She'd felt safe at the SGC, surrounded by her team and those who knew her, protected and able to learn the limits and advantages of her new body. Within a few days, she'd be separated, on her own for the most part, testing her newfound knowledge even as she was forced to adapt to new surroundings and unexpected situations.

It wasn't like she hadn't gone solo before, or been separated from the rest of her team. Usually though, she had her P-90, some explosives, and sheer ingenuity to get her back home. She had the ingenuity in plenty, but definitely wouldn't be able to pack a P-90 with her lunch bag. As for explosives, given enough time and access to the proper chemicals, she could fashion something most likely, but pretty much she was going in unarmed. As for backup, she would be out of touch with all of her teammates for most of everyday, and they had all reluctantly agreed to not carry weapons of any sort. They were going into an elementary school after all, and even if one dismissed the accidental chance of discovery by one of Seshat's Jaffa, there was too much risk in a child finding a weapon, no matter how well concealed or guarded. Accidents happened, and none of them were willing to take the risk. Additionally, there was the little problem of communication. With luck, the science department would have the emergency beacons ready to go over the weekend, but even with those helpful devices, backup would take some time to reach her.

She'd be on her own.

Sam was pulled from her reverie as Jack took the ramp off the highway, making several more turns before ending up on a two lane divided road that gradually gave way from strip malls and small businesses to a more residential neighborhood. She was surprised she'd been daydreaming for so long. The drive from base had been almost an hour, and it was nearly that long from their new residence to the school. The Air Force had chosen a place a bit out of the way to minimize the risk of running into anyone that might recognize them from the school, especially if they hoped to have Daniel and Teal'c over occasionally. Even still, they all recognized the risks should someone recognize the group, and would take every precaution, arriving in separate vehicles at different times and meeting indoors at what they deemed the safest locations. While there were risks involved in meeting together, either on or off base, it was more important for them to touch base with each other regularly, to pass on information and coordinate their efforts. Try as they might, they simply could not come up with a conceivable means to blend their various cover stories and made up backgrounds into something believable. By necessity, they'd all had little choice in what roles they were forced to take. While it might make sense for Jack and Daniel to perhaps have been friends at some point in the past, it would look too suspicious for Daniel to be giving Sam private lessons after the first few weeks of school, which they had decided would be the best way to meet if needed at the school. Jack could stop in the classroom to pick Sam up, staying to chat over her progress, and Teal'c could join them under the guise of cleaning the classroom or office. Likewise, if Daniel and Teal'c knew each other, it would also look suspicious, them both being new to the school. And even if they could strike up the appearance of forming a friendship, they could still think of no way to make it believable that all four of them were somehow acquainted with one another, without drawing attention to Sam because of her necessary relationship with Jack as parental figure.

"Almost there," Jack announced interrupting her thoughts again, as he made another turn, this one a single lane street taking them into the heart of the community. "We're looking for Pinedale Drive," he told her. "It should be on the left."

Straightening in her seat at something to do, Sam peered out the window as Jack slowed slightly. The development they'd entered appeared quiet. Shady with gently winding one-lane streets, well manicured lawns, rows of nearly identical ranch style houses aside from variations in color, trim, or landscaping. Here and there, toys were evident on front lawns, an occasional child or pedestrian visible. Not many were out, this being a workday. Likely most people in this upper middle class neighborhood were still at work, children at daycare or other pursuits this last week before school started.

"There it is," Sam pointed almost needlessly, for Jack had already activated the turn signal, slowing further as he turned onto the street, much like the one they had just driven on.

"Here's the place," Jack said, guiding the vehicle around one last bend and pulling into a driveway. "835 Pinedale Drive," he said. "I'm told," he added, an unmistakable twinkle visible in the rearview as Sam began to unfasten her restraints, "That you are expected to know your home address and telephone number prior to starting school," he said mischievously. Obviously, he'd taken his role seriously and had had at least one chat with Sergeant Nichols on normal five-year-old behavior, or perhaps he was just remembering something of his own son.

"835 Pinedale Drive," Sam obediently repeated, and then rattled off the phone number for good measure as she hopped down, wincing only slightly as the movement jarred her sore hip.

Jack frowned, looking down at her as he fumbled with his keys. "Hey, how'd you know that?" It was obvious from his facial expression that he'd not gotten the phone number yet.

Sam grinned, and walked around to the back of the truck, tugging with both hands to open the hatch. Once she got it so far, the hydraulics took over and the door slid smoothly up. "It was in the info the General gave us yesterday at the briefing," she replied as she boosted herself to grab some of the lighter bags in the back of the truck. The Colonel would have to handle his own luggage, which he'd added the day before. With all their belongings and her bike crammed in the back, the cargo compartment was quite full.

"It was in there?" Jack asked in disbelief, joining her and grabbing several of the heavier bags.

"Yes, sir, it was."

Jack shrugged in resignation. "I'm always missing my memos, well, shall we have a look?" He separated out a key, presumably the one to the house.

Sam nodded, and the two walked up the curved sidewalk, mounting the steps to the wide front porch. The lawn had been mowed recently, and flowers were planted in a neat garden on either side of the porch. Jack unlocked the door, nudging it open with one foot, and Sam followed him inside.

"Nice," Jack stated, looking around in the entry. Sam silently agreed. From where she stood behind Jack, she could just see into a nicely furnished living room, complete with a large screen TV, comfortable looking sofa, and welcoming décor in muted tones. She could just make out a dining room, the doorway at the opposite end of the living room. In front of them looked like a family room, bookshelves lining one wall were filled with books and knick-knacks. At the other side, a desk held a computer, and a smaller television stood on a stand in one corner. French doors opened onto a deck in the back yard. To the left was a hallway, which presumably led to the bedrooms.

"Why don't we bring in the rest of the bags, and then have a look around," suggested the Colonel, and Sam quickly agreed, setting down the bags she was holding out of the way on the plush carpet in the living room. Jack added his and the two went back out to the truck, making short work of the unloading.

"I want to see where we'll be sleeping," Sam stated as they brought the last of the bags inside. She held onto her duffle, and one of the bags of clothing from Target.

"Sounds good," Jack agreed readily. "After that, I want to check out the fridge. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," he said. "All that work gave me an appetite." He grabbed one of his luggage bags, and led the way down the hall, looking just as eager to check out their new digs as she was.

"Bathroom," he said, after poking his head in the first room to the right.

"This one looks like a guest room," spoke up Sam, having investigated the room on the left.

"And this one looks like your room," Jack said from further down the hall. Sam joined him in the doorway and wrinkled her nose slightly. The walls were pale yellow, and it was themed with smiling daisies. Obviously a child's room. She wandered through the doorway, dropping her bags on the floor.

"Toys?" she asked, looking around in curiosity, the daisies temporarily forgotten. Shelves held a variety of toys, from puzzles and games, to dolls, books, and she noted with amusement in a place of pride, one Major Matt Mason, complete with jet pack. She had no idea where the doll had been found, or who had found it, but it was in near perfect condition.

"You are five," Jack pointed out logically in answer to her speculation. "We should probably scatter a few things around the house. I've yet to see a house with a five year old in it that looks as neat as this one does," he explained to her confused look.

"That must be your room across the hall," Sam said, ignoring for the moment the reference to her child state. Jack crossed the hallway in a single step, and she heard his bags drop to the floor with soft thumps.

"Yep," he called. "And sweet, I have my own bathroom too, so that one down the hall is all yours Carter… er, I mean Sam."

"Yes, Dad," she replied teasingly, turning her back on the joyful daisies to peer at the master bedroom. "Rather masculine," she noted. The room was decorated in deep blues and brown leathers, the furniture heavy, dark, with straight lines and overall lacking in a feminine touch.

"I'm a bachelor after all," Jack reminded her, and Sam tried to remember if her mother was deceased in this scenario, or merely separated, with Sam living with her Dad during the school year. She'd have to go over the cover stories again. The guest room down the hall from her room looked like a good place to do that later. Furnished with a comfortable looking futon, it also came equipped with a medium sized desk and a laptop with a wireless connection to the Internet. Somehow, Sam suspected she'd be spending more time in the guest room than her own cheerful little bedroom.

She wandered back down the hall, hearing the Colonel fall in step behind her. She turned at the family room, rather than going back for more bags. They could get the rest later. They had the whole weekend to unpack after all.

"Nice," Jack said from behind her, echoing his earlier comment. The kitchen was spacious and open, a small room off the back corner showed a door leading to the garage, the entire space shaped like an upside-down L. A large bay window dominated the back wall overlooking a moderately sized backyard surrounded by wooden privacy fencing that came complete with the deck she'd noted earlier and a swing set she hadn't seen yet. It was built of wood and plastic, and looked weathered but in good condition. Obviously, whoever had lived here before had had children. A doorway in the side of the kitchen led to the dining room she'd spied earlier from the entry, showing that the main living areas were all connected in a large circle, typical of many Ranch style homes. Inside the kitchen, there was a large island and ample counter space, as well as an eat-in kitchenette placed under the window. The part of the kitchen that protruded behind the dining room towards the garage door looked to be a bit of a laundry room/mudroom. While Sam wandered around the kitchen, taking things in, Jack had already crossed to the stainless steel fridge and opened it. "Sweet," he said. Sam moved to join him, and grinned.

Cans of diet cola (decaf to her automatic disappointment) sat next to Jack's favorite brand of beer. Another thing she really shouldn't touch in her altered state. Otherwise, there was milk, fresh produce and meat, as well as a few "kid-friendly" items like juice boxes, fruit cups, and yogurt with animals parading across the packages. Someone had done his or her research well.

She pulled open a few cupboards, finding a similar level of readiness, shelves stocked with soup and pantry goods, as well as plates, utensils, and cookware. "Well, at least we won't be living on ramen noodles," she said.

"What's wrong with ramen?" Jack asked, making his own explorations.

Sam laughed, and headed back to the living room to put a few more bags in her room. "If that's your attitude sir, maybe I should cook dinner," she tossed over her shoulder.

"Hey, I can cook," Jack called to her retreating figure as he returned to the fridge, investigating the freezer. "Hey, look! Frozen pizza! They thought of everything!"

She could only grin and shake her head, grabbing a few bags from the living room and heading back down the hall. Jack was right; the house was a little too neat. It looked something like what you might find flipping through Better Homes and Gardens, and not a home that people actually lived in. They'd both have to curb their military neatness a little. Although, according to their cover stories, Jack was retired military, now acting as a civilian consultant in the guise of being the owner of a small but successful business specializing in new propulsions systems. But still, no house with children, even just one child, was so picture perfect neat.

Another trip and Sam had all her bags in her room. She was glad for the foresight in furnishing and decorating this place. The necessities they'd bought that had seemed like such abundance when purchased would have made the room seem plain and somewhat empty. She'd never have considered adding toys and childish décor, and the added touch gave the room a lived in feel. Well at least it wasn't all pink ruffles and Barbie, though she spied at least one doll poking her blonde head out of a toy bin near a plastic dollhouse in the corner. For the most part, aside from a scattering of dolls and stuffed animals, the toys were of an indiscriminate gender. Lego, puzzles, games, and a few things that one might consider something a boy would play with, like a set of remote control vehicles and the Astronaut figure as well as a replica of a space shuttle and a few airplane models. Sam smiled to see they were all fighter jets, most of which she'd flown. There was a mix of new and used toys, and Sam again wondered at who had been in charge of furnishing the place. Still, she doubted they'd have many visitors to look too closely at her room, smiling daisies and matching sunshine bedspread aside. There was even a painting on the wall above the headboard depicting a flower garden with more smiling flowers and an array of happy looking birds, butterflies, and cheerful insects. Even with the mix of toys, it was clear that this room belonged to a little girl.

As she started to put clothes away in drawers or on hangers in her closet, she heard Jack make his own trip down the hall with his bags. By the muffled grunts and sounds of bumping, he'd loaded himself down like a pack mule to avoid making more than one trip. Sam grinned privately over this little bit of familiarity and continued on with her unpacking. Over the next half hour, the two were occupied in putting things away and basically moving in.

She looked up from folding away various t-shirts, startled as she heard a little ding come from the kitchen. "Pizza's done!" Jack called, bounding down the hall towards the kitchen, and Sam recognized the smell she hadn't paid attention to. She smothered a grin as she followed her CO down the hall. He was already pulling out steaming hot pizza from the oven. Shaking her head slightly, Sam located the step stool she'd spied on her first visit to the kitchen, and used it to reach down plates and glasses. Jack found a cutting board as she set the table, pulling a cola and can of beer out of the fridge.

The pizza was soon served up, and they both ate with single-minded determinedness, hungry from all the recent activity. After dinner, they went back to unpacking and exploring the house. Since Sam didn't have quite as much, or maybe it just was that her things were smaller, she was finished first, and found herself poking about. She found a door in the utility/laundry room that led to a flight of stairs to a finished in basement. Another TV with a mini wet bar stood at one end of the basement, and the other held a variety of exercise equipment, including a large exercise mat, punching bag, and weight machine. Most of the equipment was too large for her to use, but the mat looked perfect for her and Jack to continue her practice lessons in sparring that Teal'c had started, and she knew Jack would be pleased with the gym. Back upstairs again; she spent time examining in more detail the guest room and hall bathroom. While the bathroom was stocked with necessities like toilet tissue and towels, Sam found it lacking in the number of items she generally had on hand in her own home bathroom. No shave cream, no lotions, no perfumes or make-up. No feminine hygiene products.

Having removed her shoes earlier, Sam padded softly down the hall to her bedroom, and returned to the bathroom with the small bag of bath items she'd accumulated in her one week spent in the body of the child. She and Janet had discovered early on that her sensitive child's skin reacted to most of her usual shampoos and soaps, and had ended up making a quick trip together to the BX to purchase a few gentler products made for children. Most of them weren't too bad, and they'd found everything in acceptable fruity scents rather than being stuck with the ones that were scented in bubblegum, or other flavors appealing to children. On closer inspection of the bathtub as she put her soap away, she noticed that the tub had already been stocked with a child's bubble bath and a cheerful yellow rubber duckie. She smiled nostalgically at the rubber duck. She'd had one just like it as a child.

The little duck reminded her of something, and she made another trip to her bedroom, digging into the nearly empty duffle bag. During excursions over the last week, they'd made one stop at her house, so she might pick up a few things she could take to occupy herself with when she and the Colonel were alone. She may look like a child, but thought she'd go slowly nuts if she had to act like one the whole day, every day. And so, she had picked up a few things like books or journals that could be passed off as belonging to her parent if necessary. While she'd been choosing what to take, she'd come across a small shoebox sized tote. After the three months she, Teal'c, and Daniel had spent as children under the Colonel's care, Jack had put together for each of them a small collection of mementos, before the bulk of items had gone to various charities. Now Sam found herself smiling as she impulsively added the one item to her bed that she'd removed from the box. The slightly battered teddy bear looked right at home on the cheerful bedspread.

She glanced around the room one more time, and decided she could live with it. It was temporary after all. Finished for now with unpacking, Sam wandered over to the bookshelf. They'd spent the previous night watching movies, and Sam was in the mood for something else. Shifting boxes slightly to see the titles, she picked out a board game, puzzle, and a deck of Uno playing cards. On the way out, she impulsively added the toy space shuttle. The Colonel was right; the house was a little too neat.

Jack found her in the living room, the toys and games spread about on the coffee table. "Getting comfortable?" Jack asked as he flopped down onto the overstuffed sofa with a slight groan, and then sat up again after glancing at the TV, obviously searching for the remote.

"It's right here, sir," she said, pulling the item in question out of a basket in a compartment under the coffee table. The basket held several remote controls for the nicely equipped home theatre system. She'd also noticed a selection of movies in the entertainment center, containing a variety of action or military themed stories, as well as a collection of children's and family movies. She was starting to think that the home had been furnished by some agency, but the personal touches like her bedroom and the food had to have been added by someone from the base. "Care for a game?" she asked after the Colonel had turned on the TV and was busily flipping through the channels.

"Hey, cool, we have the movie channels, and the sports package," Jack exclaimed. After several more channels, he turned back to her. "What game?" he asked.

Sam held up the Uno deck. "If you don't want to play this one, there's these, and more in my room," she offered. "It is a bit neat in here after all, like you said."

Jack looked at the puzzle, and the game of Monopoly, and shook his head. "No, Uno is fine. I haven't played in a long time though," he admitted as he finally settled on a channel. Nascar racing.

Moving around to the other side of the table so she could see the screen as well, Sam pushed the other things to one side, and started to deal the cards. "That's ok sir, I haven't played in a while either, but the rules are pretty easy to remember," she said.

They played several hands, sometimes forgetting themselves and the TV as they got caught up in the children's game. Eventually though, events of the long day finally caught up and Sam started to yawn and forget the rules of the game, simple as they were. After her second mistake, she laid the remaining cards of her last hand down. "I think I'm gonna turn in sir," she said, yawning and stretching as she stood up.

"I don't think I'll stay up much longer myself," Jack admitted, trading his cards for the remote, settling back on the sofa. "Goodnight Sam," he told her.

She smiled softly. "'Night Dad," she said, a note of teasing in her voice that Jack answered with a slight quirk of his lips. He dragged his eyes away from the TV.

"To bed with you, its way past your bedtime," he joked.

Sam just grinned, and headed down the hallway, pausing at the bathroom to brush her teeth before going to her bedroom and changing into one of her big t-shirts. She climbed into bed, slipping under the covers. Her mind was still occupied with her thoughts and uncertainties from earlier in the day, though fatigue was fast winning out. She curled on her side, settling into the unfamiliar bed. Various worries continued to nag at her, and she wrestled with the recurring doubts that had surfaced time and again since the mission had been proposed. Eventually though, her brain firmly shut down, as it had for most of the last week, regardless of whether she had come to terms with anything. As if sensing her thoughts, one small stuffed bear with a vaguely familiar feeling to it made its way to tuck reassuringly under her chin as she drifted off to sleep. Gradually, the frown lines in her brow smoothed, and her childish features grew soft with sleep. After all, there was no one around to see her.

_A/N: Again, apologies for the long delay, life has been so busy. I just spent the last weekend volunteering as a camp nurse for a weekend overnight camp for kids with chronic kidney disease. I must admit that the majority of the kids, knowing they had chronic kidney conditions, put me to shame with their seemingly endless levels of energy. We had our share of tummy aches and headaches of course, but it was wonderful to see the kids outside of the hospital, just being kids. The surrounding area was gorgeous as well (even if it was a mite chilly), surrounded by trees and horse farms, which made the low salt diet tolerable lol (especially since one of the nurses, a returning veteran, has NMH, and sneaks in her own salt supply, which she shared with us on staff lol)_

_Sammy and Dragon went to the vet. Sammy lost two pounds, and was as usual, an angel, purring and eating treats during his exam. While he seemed a might put out with the thermometer, the treats distracted him quite well. (Some of you may recall me subjecting Sam in Nine Lives to a similar treatment, though she wasn't quite interested in treats at the time!) Dragon on the other hand, despite a combination of two oral sedatives, was the most aggressive I've ever seen him. Unfortunately, I failed to capture the full event on video. Ah well. Poor Dragon. We couldn't do much with him except hold him down and pop his shots, though he did treat the vet to a full view of all his teeth._

_I'm getting transitioned from physical therapy soon to a gym and personal trainer as well as continuing my home exercises. I've never belonged to a gym, preferring to exercise on my own, and have an appointment to check out the place the first week November. But while I can use some equipment and do many exercises independently, there is a lot of equipment I don't own, and things I can still benefit from learning. Hopefully there will be some nice package I can get, and then I can ask for gym memberships for Christmas lol. I've been tired and achy a lot recently, and we think I may have fibromyalgia, but it doesn't really change much in treatment, since I should still work, and still try and stay as active as possible. Besides, I want to keep losing weight, and keep off what I've lost so far. I think it's the first time in my life that I've managed to keep a new year's resolution, even if I didn't get started on it until March._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, especially the length lol and I'll also let you know that I'm working hard on Sam's first few days of school already. There are a lot of details that my betas have been helping me out with. The chapter has already undergone several major revisions, and I've been working on those rather than the stuff in between, but there's one more chapter I think (with some Sg-1 bonding I think you will all enjoy) before Sam is faced with going to kindergarten again._


	17. Cookouts

_

* * *

_

Chapter 17: Cookouts

The weekend passed quietly. Sam and Jack settled into their new residence, already starting the process of spreading personal belongings around the house beginning on Saturday. Jack's fishing and hockey magazines appeared on the coffee table as well as some of Sam's about classic cars and motorcycles, mingled with a few of their journals on astronomy and astrophysics. Hopefully, no one would look too closely, or they might think Jack had some unusual varied interests. A certain picture took up residence on the fridge, and Jack wisely chose not to comment on the childish drawing's reappearance. Likewise, he made no comment as a few toys scattered about the house here and there, and a small pair of blue and white tennis shoes joined his that had been left carelessly by the door. Slowly, the house began to take on a lived in feel.

The one thing they lacked were any personal photos on display. Unfortunately, the only photos Sam had of herself at a younger age were obviously dated; products of the 60's, many in faded color and some even in black and white. If that hadn't been enough, clothing, hairstyles, and backgrounds would have given the pictures away as being from another era entirely. The more recent photos Jack had showed an older Sam. Two years was too major a difference in childhood to be of any use.

While they'd decided that perhaps some photos of Sam's adult self might pass as being of Sam's mother, they had a hard time finding any that didn't contain the rest of SG-1, or didn't show the two of them in anything but military dress. The few photos of Jack and Sam alone were usually candid shots captured by their teammates and friends, with only a small handful during off-base gatherings. And while they could perhaps add some of her or Jack alone or with Janet or Cassie, they decided that those few lone photos would stick out with the lack of any other photos, especially ones of a younger version of Sam. They simply decided that the absence of photos was a result of Jack's marital separation from Sam's mother, who according to their cover story lived in Europe part of the year, and traveled frequently to many exotic places during the rest of the year, hence Sam's living with her father and attending school in Colorado. It also would account for the basic, albeit comfortable, appearance of the décor.

On Sunday, Jack chased both of them outside. They'd both spent all day Saturday indoors, Sam holed up in the guest room, refreshing herself on her cover, or doing a little research online. Jack parked himself in the recliner, surfing the many TV channels while taking the time to work on his own cover.

Sunday however, dawned clear with mild temperatures. "I think I'll go for a run," Jack told her over breakfast. "Care to join me?" he asked. As Sam looked up, he added with a slight smirk, "Try not to get pulled over for speeding this time though."

Sam ducked her head over her cereal bowl. "Sure, why not?" she replied, shrugging slightly as if it didn't matter to her and ignoring the jibe, but she'd been eyeing the clear day out the window since she'd gotten up that morning and was wondering what she could do about it. Jack's suggestion worked out quite well, making is so that she'd not be limited to the yard.

After breakfast, they both changed into shorts and t-shirts, and Jack opened the garage door. They'd put her bike and helmet inside, and Sam was ready in moments. She coasted down the driveway and waited for Jack. "You should probably keep in sight of me," he told her, and Sam nodded. She'd already intended to. This early Sunday morning there was next to no traffic on the wide, quiet streets. She figured she could loop around if needed, going in circles as Jack made progress on his run.

They set off companionably, Sam riding up and down the block as Jack ran, keeping in visual distance of each other. There weren't any big hills, but Sam still had a good time not having to worry about any speed restrictions. She'd be hard pressed to exceed the 25 mph posted limit on a kid's bike without any steep hills.

Towards the end of the run, Jack was winding down his workout on the opposite side of the street from their house when a woman that no doubt lived in the house directly across from theirs hailed him. Jack slowed, stopping and stretching as the older woman left her flower garden to stand up and greet him. The woman was slender, skin browned and weathered from much time spent out of doors, shoulders slightly hunched with age. She appeared to be at least in her 70's, the hair under he wide brimmed gardener's hat gone nearly all white. Sam turned her bike around, and went to join them. The two were already in conversation as Jack did a few standing stretches.

"And this is my daughter, Sam," Jack said as she arrived, and then motioned towards the woman standing next to him in introduction. "Sam, this is Mrs. Day."

"How do you do," Sam said, offering her hand.

"Oh, so polite!" Mrs. Day exclaimed, removing her gardening gloves and accepting Sam's small hand. Despite hands slightly gnarled with age and arthritis, the woman's grip was sure, belying a strength masked by their appearance. The woman vibrated with a sense of vitality, masked by her aged appearance. "I'm doing quite well, dear," she answered. "And how old are you?"

Sam blinked, belatedly realizing that as a child, that question was one she'd receive rather frequently. Aside from little Jenny in the daycare center, no one had asked the question, and it had been years since she'd been asked outright her age. "I'm five ma'am," she answered, automatically falling back into the respectful form of address for a child to an adult that she'd been taught at an early age as the daughter of an Air Force officer.

"Oh, my, her manners are impeccable," Mrs. Day told Jack as if Sam wasn't there, and Sam was startled to realize that like being quizzed on her age whenever meeting a new adult or child, she'd also be ignored for the most part by adults in general. Adults carried on conversations over children's heads, expecting them to either be disinterested, or to not understand the conversation. General Hammond and the Joint Chiefs had obviously remembered and counted on this little facet of life, but it was reassuring to see that they had been entirely correct. She watched Jack and their new neighbor for several moments, as the woman began to enumerate the shortcomings of the children that lived in a house a short way down the street. The woman seemed to be information central for their little neighborhood and part of her wanted to stay and listen, but the rest of her realized that not only would she as a five year old not be interested in the conversation, but that she also couldn't join in. Still, as she pointed her bike out to the street she felt a brief pang of sympathy for Jack, who couldn't escape as easily. The woman seemed the type to talk one's ear off given the opportunity. She likely had lived in the area for some time, and seemed to thrive on gossip. Currently, Mrs. Day was clucking either sympathetically or disapprovingly over the news that Jack and his wife were separated, and giving her own opinions on marriage and divorce.

"Sam, make sure you stay on the street," Jack called to her as she pulled away, and she gave him a wave in reply, catching his fleeting gaze of longing as she began making circles on the street. The admonishment again reminded her of her lack of freedom, but she smirked slightly as she realized that in some cases her child guise gave her more freedom. In this instance, she had the freedom to escape the local gossip without appearing rude.

She made several wide, lazy loops up and down the street, until she noticed Jack growing gradually more and more antsy. After another lap, she pulled into their driveway, and then left her bike, trotting across the street. Jack was pretending to be engrossed in what Mrs. Day was telling him, some bit of drama about a neighbor's dog and her prized roses.

"Dad," Sam said, tugging on Jack's arm, "I can't get the garage door open."

Jack looked apologetically at Mrs. Day. "I should go, I don't want to keep you from…" he waved vaguely at the extensive flower gardens.

"Oh, no trouble at all, I enjoyed our little chat Mr. Um…"

"Lewis," Jack finished for her. "Jack Lewis." He dropped one hand on Sam's shoulder, turning her around toward their house and giving her a gentle nudge in the right direction as he edged away from the conversation.

"A pleasure meeting you Mr. Lewis, and you too dear," Mrs. Day waved as they departed, and Sam waved back, unconsciously slipping into a little skip she'd practiced with Sergeant Nichols to keep up as Jack all but jogged across the street, activating the garage door opener and ducking under as soon as the opening was large enough.

"Thanks, Sam, I owe you one," Jack told her as she followed, wheeling her bike inside the garage.

"You looked like you needed rescuing, sir," Sam told him, removing her helmet and hanging it off the bike's handlebars.

Jack shook his head as he unlocked the door to the kitchen and set the garage door to close. "Like you wouldn't believe. On the other hand, I now have the complete low down on just about everyone in a two block radius of here." He dropped his keys on the counter and shook his head again.

"Anything interesting?" Sam asked.

"I'll tell you over lunch," he replied, already opening the fridge. "How do sandwiches sound?"

"I thought we were having burgers today," she answered, using her step stool to reach down glasses and pouring both of them water from the filtered tap on the sink. Jack had been quite thrilled to discover the rather impressive grill on the back deck, with a full set of patio furniture. He'd been dying for an excuse to "break it in" as he'd told her. Hence the plan for burgers for lunch, so they could both enjoy the nice day in the comfort of their own backyard.

Jack's head emerged from the fridge. "We were, but I've changed my mind. We can have burgers tomorrow, when we have Daniel and Teal'c over. Have a little backyard barbeque."

Sam frowned slightly, taking a sip of water. "I thought it wasn't safe to meet outside," she said. They'd all agreed that occasional meetings outside of school hours would not cause trouble, but they had decided it was safest to hold those meetings indoors and out of sight, and definitely not out in public if they could help it.

"Well, thanks to Mrs. Day, and her encyclopedic knowledge of the area, I now know that neither of our neighbors have any children living at home. Additionally, the neighbor to our right is on vacation until next week, and the one on the left is going to a family cookout tomorrow." Jack grinned, and started unloading lunchmeats onto the island, taking her lack of answer for an affirmative as to the change in menu as he continued to fill her in on the Intel he'd just gathered. "Besides, no one will see over that six foot privacy fence without a stepladder. And furthermore," he continued as Sam wandered over to join him, placing his glass of water on the counter, "Mrs. Day has informed me that she knows of no children attending Providence Day School in the area, and additionally, knows of no one even working there." Sam's eyebrows lifted, and a faint frown formed as she considered the info. Jack gave her a knowing look, and smirked slightly.

"In fact," he added, pausing dramatically to take a sip of water, "The only person she knows of, or rather knew of, that worked at the school hung herself three years ago. I'll have to check, but no doubt the woman is on that list of deaths and missing persons." He shook his head slightly. "I tell you, Sam, that woman thrives on drama. She'll probably have told everyone on the block about us by the end of the day."

Sam grinned and relaxed, putting down her half-empty glass and started to help with lunch preparations after dragging over her step stool. There was no reason to doubt Mrs. Day's information, and it had been sheer good luck to run into her so soon after moving in. She saw no reason they couldn't meet up with their teammates in the privacy of their backyard on the few seasonable days left before cooling temperatures and weather drove them inside. "Well, we're pretty stocked for a cookout, sir. We've got burgers, hot dogs, rolls, chips and drinks. I saw some potatoes yesterday and can make some potato salad if you want. The only thing we don't have is dessert," she finished.

Jack's face lit up. "I'll tell Daniel and Teal'c to pick some up when I call them," he said. He grinned. "Cake."

"With chocolate frosting," Sam added, and returned the Colonel's grin impishly. "A girl needs a little chocolate now and then."

"As long as it's cake," he replied, and reached down some chips for the two of them, adding a handful to each plate.

After lunch, the two of them ended up back outside, this time in the backyard. At Jack's urging (or nagging, depending on one's point of view) Sam eventually tried out the sliding board. Finding it less thrilling than the large one at the park, she used one of the swings for a little while to appease the Colonel. But once Jack had settled down on the chaise with a sports magazine, Sam fetched out her own reading material. There being only one chaise lounge, Sam found herself climbing the jungle gym part of the play set and curled up inside the wood and plastic fort, able to spread out comfortably after stealing one of the pillows they'd found stored in the garage off a patio chair.

When it started growing too dark to read, Sam reemerged from the child-sized fortress to find Jack already stretching. Together, they made an unremarkable dinner followed by another game, this time, at Jack's insistence, Chutes and Ladders.

Despite herself, Sam found she was drawn into the game, perhaps in part because of Jack's unrestrained enthusiasm. Besides, after he'd gleefully laughed and gloated every time her marker had moved backwards down a slide, she could only retaliate in kind when Jack had the misfortune to land on the largest slide just before finishing, while her almost constant backwards movement during the game had set her up to take the longest ladder and win the game.

She had to plead fatigue, which wasn't exaggerated, to fight off Jack's demands for an immediate rematch. Despite her wide yawn though, he only became placated when she suggested they have the rematch the following night, with Teal'c and Daniel.

Shaking her head in amusement, Sam headed down the hallway and got ready for bed. It seemed only a few minutes passed after her head hit the pillow before she was fast asleep.

* * *

The next day, Sam found herself outside, riding her bike as the rest of SG-1 pulled up using Daniel's borrowed vehicle. She coasted to a stop alongside the car as they parked behind the SUV and got out.

"Hey guys," she said, leaning forward casually over the handlebars, one foot on the ground to steady the bike.

"Greetings, Samantha," returned Teal'c.

"Hey Sam, you look good," added Daniel. "Let me guess, Jack threw you out of the kitchen?"

With a rueful nod, Sam dismounted, walking her bike into the garage along with her teammates. "You know how he is. Always complaining he can't achieve perfection with people around underfoot. At least this time, he was right," she admitted. Daniel laughed, and Teal'c looked amused. Just then, a loud curse was heard from the open screen door to the kitchen.

"Uh, maybe we should go out back," Sam recommended, pointing towards the door in the back of the garage with a slight wince as noisy clattering commenced and cupboard doors were banged open and closed. It had been slightly noisier than usual today, as the Colonel no doubt spent extra time searching for necessary ingredients and cooking implements.

"Good idea," said Daniel, after his own sideways look.

"An excellent suggestion," added Teal'c.

Risking life and limb, Sam darted into the kitchen long enough to let Jack know that Daniel and Teal'c had arrived, and to grab them all drinks. She had to duck as Jack spun around with a large knife, forgetting he was holding it. "Whoa!" she yelped, hastily taking a step back.

"Sorry Carter," Jack said, quickly putting the knife down. "What?" he asked, as she stood there holding the drinks and grinning back at him. Realization dawned, and he groaned. "You surprised me, didn't I tell you to get out and stay out of my kitchen?" he complained even as he reached for his back pocket to pull out a dollar bill.

"The surprised moments are gonna be the hardest ones, sir," she replied teasingly, and Jack pretended to go for the knife after dropping the bill in the modified "swear jar" they'd come up with the previous night. They didn't know what they'd use the money for yet, but the jar had seen heavy usage already as they worked on using correct forms of address. Before Jack could even take a step towards her she'd darted out the back door, joining Teal'c and Daniel at the table with their drinks.

"The Colonel's in fine form you guys, gonna be a good one tonight," Sam told them as she climbed into a chair. The more Jack swore and banged things about, the better the food seemed to be. She blinked as she belatedly realized what she'd said. "Oops." Muttering, she dug a dollar bill out of her pocket and tossed it onto the table. No way was she going back in there.

Daniel's eyebrows rose and Teal'c looked curious.

Sam debated telling them for a moment, and then decided it was only fair. Jack was likely to expand the jar to them anyway, and knowing him, it would be without warning. She coughed slightly. "Dad and I have come up with a surefire way to get our names straight," she told them. "Anytime one of us slips up, we have to put a dollar in the Oops Jar."

"Oops Jar?" asked Daniel, curiously.

"Dad's idea," she admitted, feeling more than a little awkward in addressing her CO as "Dad," especially to her teammates. Fortunately she was saved any comments by the timely arrival of the man in question, bearing a platter of uncooked meat for the already heated grill.

"Hey you two," he said by way of greeting, juggling the platter and several implements for cooking.

Knowing better than to offer assistance when Jack was grilling, Daniel and Teal'c remained seated, greeting Jack by his cover name, Mr. Lewis.

Jack glared accusingly at her. "You told them, didn't you?" he demanded.

Sam shrugged helplessly, and gestured at the dollar bill lying on the table. Somewhat appeased, Jack grinned widely at her slip. So far, she'd gotten off lightly since the team had decided "Sir" was ok. She only had trouble when she needed to gain his attention or spoke about him, rather than answering questions. "Colonel" still had a tendency to slip out rather than "Dad" more often than not. They'd decided as a group the Thursday before to stick with their new pseudonyms, after Daniel had pointed out the more they used the familiar forms of address, the more likely said forms of address were to slip out at inopportune moments. It was Jack that had decided some form of payment system was needed to drive the message home, only he'd found to his dismay that he'd slipped up with "Carter" or "Major" way more than she did. Of course, the concession that she could still use "Sir" had been a major boon. Still, a good bit of the money in the jar was hers, and this gathering would likely be a true test of her memory. It wouldn't do to refer to her father as "The Colonel" to one of her teachers after all, especially considering that by his cover, he was retired, now acting as a civilian consultant. Nor would it look right to be on a first name only basis with any adult at her physical age, especially ones in a position of authority like Daniel as her teacher and even Teal'c as a janitor.

Turning his back on them, Jack added the burgers to the grill, the juice hitting the hot grate with a sizzle and clouds of fragrant hickory smoke. Once all the patties were on the grill, he turned back around, pointing a spatula in the direction of the table. "Anyone slips up has to put a dollar in the Oops Jar," he warned them, glaring threateningly and confirming Sam's suspicions.

Daniel held up his hands in mock surrender while Teal'c merely nodded. Jack leveled another glare in her direction before turning his attention back to the grill. Knowing he was occupied with the act of burning meat, Sam used the opportunity to slip into the kitchen, bringing out plates and the side dishes. Daniel stood up to help.

"You guys remembered to bring the cake, right?" Jack asked as they set the table.

"Indeed Mr. Lewis, it is in Monsieur Paxton's vehicle. It has the chocolate frosting that Samantha requested," answered Teal'c smoothly, with a nod in her direction, a slight smile indicating he was baiting Jack by using all of their aliases correctly in one sentence.

Sam smothered a giggle as she handed Jack the burger rolls. Jack snatched the bag, complaining under his breath, but Sam didn't mind, he'd just opened the grill and it smelled delicious. His burgers were always worth any inconvenience. She'd had to make the potato salad earlier in the day because Jack maintained his recipe was a secret, part of the reason he cited in wanting the kitchen to himself and forcibly declining any and all assistance. The rest of SG-1 privately thought he just reveled in proving he could cook unaided something beyond frozen pizza.

Soon, the food was cooked to Jack's satisfaction, and he served everyone, avoiding Daniel's pestering for the ingredients. As always, the Colonel never gave the slightest hint as to what he used. Inevitable banter soon sprang up, and Jack managed to get two dollars off of Daniel before they'd even started to eat. Sam grinned, and looked at her plate. It was loaded, and the burger much larger than she remembered. She sighed softly. There was no way she'd be able to finish even half of it, Jack made his burgers big. They were too good to go to waste.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Jack asked.

She shook her head quickly. "No sir, it's just there's no way I'm going to be able to eat all of this."

"Just eat what you can, Teal'c will eat the rest, won't you buddy?" Jack's look faded into one of dismay. "D'oh!"

Teal'c graced them all with one of his rare smiles, hiding his amusement by biting into his own mammoth sized burger as Jack tossed another bill onto the table to join the handful already there.

Sam grinned, cutting her burger in half before she dug in with enthusiasm. Despite a hearty appetite though, she only managed to clear little more than half of what she'd been served and pushed the unfinished plate towards the center of the table. Teal'c immediately took the remaining part of her burger. Daniel looked slightly disappointed but helped himself to her leftover potato chips. Fully stuffed, Sam leaned back and was unable to restrain a rather loud belch. Surprised faces all turned in her direction and Sam blushed slightly before rallying.

"I've still got it," she said, a slight hint of smugness in her tone.

Still looking a little startled by the amount of noise produced from the small body across the table, Jack swallowed his most recent bite. "I don't know Sam," he said, "I think that was only a six."

Sam pretended indignation straightening in chair. "No way, sir, that was way better than a six."

"At least an eight," chimed in Daniel, eyes twinkling as he forked up some more of her homemade potato salad.

She was finding it hard to keep a grin off her face when Teal'c added his opinion by releasing his own belch, his far eclipsing hers in any size. Helplessly, she giggled.

"Now that was a ten," she said, and no one disagreed.

"My compliments to the chef," Teal'c said, as way of excuse for his noisy interruption. Sam grinned openly and Jack's shoulders shook with restrained laughter.

"You just can't help yourself ever since Daniel told you about burping being complimentary rather than rude in some cultures," Jack accused, swiping the last of the potato salad before Daniel could claim the rest. Daniel scowled slightly, returning to the remains of food left on his plate.

"It is an honored Tauri tradition, is it not?" Teal'c asked.

"Honored or not," Sam interrupted before Daniel could join in the oft repeated debate, "You both owe a dollar in the Oops Jar," she said. Jack frowned, his dismay suddenly turning to joy as he realized that they'd finally gotten a dollar from Teal'c.

As Teal'c continued to look confused, Daniel pointed a fork at Teal'c. "Mr. Murray, you can't use words like Tauri."

Teal'c blinked, looking suitably chastened. "Indeed, Monsieur Paxton, I cannot," he replied, reaching for his wallet and extracting a bill as Jack silently gloated.

The rest of the meal was finished among companionable banter, with several more belches released by all from the table, the others teasingly rating the eruptions, though no one came close to topping Teal'c.

The food finally eaten, they all cleared the table, and Jack dragged out Chutes and Ladders to Sam's amusement and Daniel's confusion. Teal'c merely looked curious as Sam passed out markers while Jack explained the simple rules of the game. It didn't take long for all of SG-1 to become involved in the game.

Quite a bit more cash was added to the jar fund, to the point where Jack had to replace a handful of smaller bills with a larger one, shaking his head in dismay. He had no one to blame but himself though, since it was his mouth and goading that usually did the slip ups.

The game was close, but Teal'c won, looking far too smug over his victory considering he was playing a child's game. No one chose to enlighten the man that he hadn't been playing anything less than an honorable game. Jack ended up dead last again, and his grumbling about cheating and the game being rigged were only cut off when Daniel retrieved the cake from the car and Sam went to get plates, forks and a knife.

After they'd made an appreciable dent into the cake, the group lounged about, discussing little of consequence, although the thought of the next day lay heavy on everyone's mind. Finally, Teal'c and Daniel stood, citing the drive back to base and Daniel's apartment before finding their beds in order to be rested for the first day of school. Sam roused herself from where she'd started to doze on the chaise, following the group to the door and bidding both men a goodnight, surprising both of them with hugs. These moments, SG-1 moments, would be rare by necessity in the coming weeks, and the hugs were returned with equal enthusiasm, each man crouching down to her level after their initial surprise. Jack waited until the two men had pulled away before shutting the front door.

"That was good," he said of the night, and Sam nodded in agreement, heading out back to gather up the game board and leftover bottles, cans and detritus as Jack started to neaten up the slight disaster he'd inevitably created in the kitchen. Sam dumped all the garbage in the trash, cans and bottles into the recycle bin, and loaded plates in the dishwasher as Jack wiped down the counters and put things away. When the kitchen was neatened up, Sam reached up and pulled the back to school list off the refrigerator that they'd received earlier that week from the school. They'd only been missing a few items that a quick trip out had quickly rectified, and Sam had made sure earlier that day that she had everything as she'd packed her bag in case they'd needed to make one more trip to the store. Still, it didn't hurt to check one more time.

Curiously, Jack stopped tying up the garbage bag, and watched her curiously. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked.

"I'm making sure I have everything," she replied.

"Didn't you pack your bag earlier today?" he asked, still frowning slightly.

"I just want to make sure," she answered with a little shrug. She couldn't explain her need to check and double check preparations. It wasn't like lives would be at stake if she'd forgotten to pack the crayons or something, but old habits died hard, and she was about to embark on probably the most unusual mission of her life, which was a lot considering SG-1's usual mission roster.

Jack returned the shrug, somehow communicating his understanding while lifting the trash bag out of the can. "Suit yourself then," he said, taking the bag out. "I really wish you could see how odd you look though," he added lightly, on the way out the back door.

Sam grinned, heading for the living room. "I'm probably the only five year old independently packing her own school bag tonight," she admitted ruefully.

"Let me know if you need a hand," Jack called, as he stepped outside.

"Thank you sir, I'm good!" she called back, seating herself on the living room floor and upending the already packed bag on the floor, list in hand. Carefully, she repacked the bag for the second time that day, adding a second line of checkmarks next to the first as she placed each item back in the bag. The Colonel, having looked over the welcoming packet they'd received had already teasingly written her name on all items as requested by the teacher before she'd even had a chance to decide if she should ask him or not.

"Got everything?" asked Jack, as he entered the living room, stepping neatly around her and the rapidly diminishing pile. "Spare clothes, towel, paper, crayons, box of tissues?" He'd paid attention to the list as well.

Sam merely nodded, concentrating on the list, and fitting everything into the bag. She wondered a bit about some of the things, like the towel and change of clothes, but supposed there was a rationale for it. She also hoped that many of the items would be left behind after the first day, her backpack bulged appreciatively as she crammed the last of the items in, marking the pair of safety scissors off the list. "Just one more thing," she told him, getting up and heading to the kitchen, returning with a granola bar, which she tucked into one of the outer pockets. "The letter said to pack snacks everyday, even if the child will be buying lunches," she explained.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I saw that," he said. "So, you gonna be buying, or brown bagging?" he asked.

Sam shrugged. "I'll probably bring something the first few days, who knows what their cafeteria food is like." She yawned, stretching as she moved her bag near the door where she wouldn't forget it in the morning. "We should do that shot now too, sir, so we don't forget."

"Oh, yeah, that," he agreed noncommittally.

"The bag is in the kitchen, why don't I just lay down on the couch?" she suggested, trying to infuse her voice with confidence. This time, there was no Janet, coolly and professionally moving things along.

"Um, ok," Jack replied, sounding less than enthused. He at least headed for the kitchen while Sam prepared herself, lying down on the couch and trying to get as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

It seemed to take forever before she heard his footsteps behind her. "We, uh, used the right cheek last time didn't we?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes sir," she replied, voice slightly muffled. "Use the left this time," she added.

"Ok." This time, Sam managed not to react as Jack located the correct landmarks, swabbing the area with alcohol. He gave her a count and Sam prided herself on remaining still and not making a sound during the injection. "You ok?" he asked, once it was finished. Sam nodded into the pillow, not trusting her voice at the moment. There was a pause, and Jack spoke again. "I'd better go put the needle in that jug in the kitchen," he said.

She waited until his footsteps moved away before releasing the breath she'd been holding, grateful for the privacy he'd given her. Moving gingerly, Sam got up off the couch. The second injection hadn't been any worse than the first, even without Janet's calm presence. Unfortunately, her right hip was still a little sore to the touch, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. In fact, she really hadn't thought about it much the entire weekend aside from a few times she'd bumped or jarred it. She still didn't think the discomfort bad enough to warrant having to swallow the gross, sticky children's elixirs. Besides, if the compound masked her naquadah-laden bloodstream from detection, she could put up with a little soreness. The mission was far more important.

Wandering out to the kitchen, Sam found Jack poking needlessly about the spacious kitchen, and smiled. "Goodnight, sir."

Jack turned at her voice, his eyes searching. What he found must have reassured him because his posture relaxed. "Night Sam."

Tomorrow was a big day.

_A/N: Hope you're all still with me what with all the delays in posting and what all. I have a few more details to work out, but the next chapter will be Sam's first day (or second, depending how you view it!) of kindergarten._


	18. First Day of School

_Chapter 18: First Day of School_

Sam rolled over in bed with a sigh, stretching leisurely. Her internal time clock had woken her just minutes before her alarm had gone off. She'd slept well, even though she'd thought she'd be up half the night thinking about the day to come. Her body had different plans though, as she'd come to discover over the last week and a half, shutting down when it decided it needed rest, and her with little to say about the matter. However, she'd discovered to some amusement that while her body might shut down unexpectedly on her, her military internal time clock still functioned perfectly. Lazily, she reached out an arm and turned off the alarm before it could activate, and debated lying in bed a while longer before getting up. And then the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached her nose, overlaid with the smell of sizzling bacon, deciding the matter for her. Light clatters from down the hall indicated that her CO was already awake, and she was surprised she'd not heard him get up. But then again, like the shut down, she seemed to sleep like the dead while asleep now.

Thinking about it as she tossed back the covers and stretched bare toes down to meet the plush carpet, wriggling them in pure sensation while she stretched arms overhead, the internal time clock probably wasn't all that much of an oddity. On the rare occasions she'd managed to get out and visit Mark and his family while the kids were on break, the kids seemed to wake at the same time everyday no matter when they'd gone to bed. They seldom gave the adults in the house a chance to sleep late.

Rising, she picked up the bundle of clothing she'd laid out the night before and padded down the hall to the bathroom, pausing again to inhale the mingled aromas coming from the kitchen. She took a quick shower, more out of habit than necessity. Janet had explained that a child's body produced less sweat and oils and therefore did not usually need a daily shower, which may have contributed to her skin breaking out so quickly while using her usual soaps. Still, Sam found the habit hard to break, and took care to use only a small perfunctory amount of soap and shampoo, preferring to revel in the feel of the hot water cascading over her much smaller body. She found comfort in the familiarity. Her fingers encountered the new sore spot on her left hip, but like the still slightly tender injection site on her right side, it didn't feel any worse than the first injection had, and Sam decided she could deal just fine with it without the additions of any of the disgusting children's pain reliever medications. With any luck, the major discomfort would fade by the end of the day.

Shower complete, she dressed quickly and checked her reflection in the mirror while using another stepstool to reach the sink, combing out her damp hair. She made a face at the still somewhat unfamiliar reflection and fished one of the child sized headbands out of the drawer to hold her hair back. After some thought, she and Janet had come up with the solution of using headbands rather than going for a child's haircut. Not knowing how long the mission would last, and remembering returning to adulthood after the last transition with a little girl's bob had helped her decide to avoid a haircut if at all possible, unless the mission became longer term than they hoped.

Washed, dried, and dressed in a new outfit, Sam headed down the hall in her socks. "Morning, sir," she greeted, making a beeline to the coffee pot out of habit, stopping at the last minute to turn and face Jack with a questioning look. She found him watching her in amusement, spatula in hand as he scrambled eggs.

"Morning Sam. I thought I'd have to wake you up. It's decaf," he told her to her unasked question. "Daniel left some for you last night as a surprise. I made my coffee already before I did yours," he added, pointing to the enormous mug near the range top stove. Jack made his coffee strong enough to walk on its own, and drank it black. He also had no reserve about drinking the previous day's leftover coffee after nuking it, maintaining that the taste only grew better as it aged. Sam had slightly more refined tastes, and while she'd drink it black if she had to, she usually preferred to add cream and sugar when she had it, as well as clean the pot and use new filters with each brew. Jack thought that washing the pot took away the "flavor" and had no problem in "recycling" a used filter if no new ones were on hand, but this morning, the coffee pot appeared to have been cleaned before he'd made her decaf. She wouldn't be surprised though if some of the coffee in the huge mug Jack was drinking from stayed there until tomorrow, he'd obviously planned ahead when he'd brought the oversized mug. Sam smiled her thanks over her CO's thoughtfulness, taking the much smaller mug considerately left by the pot and filling it up. There was enough in the pot for two normal sized cups.

"Thank you," she said, inhaling over the cup, eyes partially closed in bliss. It may not have caffeine, but she didn't seem to need it anymore. Even still, the coffee was much appreciated, as well as the care he had taken in making sure his super strong military grade coffee didn't contaminate hers. SG-1 had often joked that Jack's coffee could double as a weapon in times of need, and the man sometimes needed convincing that a cup of coffee, no matter how strong, did not constitute a meal. "I woke up just ahead of the alarm, and before I could even think about going back to sleep, I smelled coffee. Anything I can do to help?" she asked, pausing to add a little creamer to the mug, eschewing the sugar. She had noticed that sugar seemed to have the same effect as caffeine in her adult body did, only much more strongly with a harder crash.

"There's some toast over there, if you want to butter it, I've got the rest under control," he said, waving towards the toaster with the spatula. Jack shook his head in bemusement. "When I had you, Daniel, and Teal'c with me, nothing short of a nuclear explosion got you out of bed, except on the weekends when I wanted to sleep late. Daniel was the only one that had no trouble waking you up, I should have thought of coffee."

Sam grinned and sipped from her mug, letting the warmth seep into her hands before setting it down and getting out butter and knife. It was funny how Jack's recollections matched up with her earlier thoughts on childish sleep habits. Perhaps her adult memories affected more than they knew. "It probably wouldn't have worked, I didn't start drinking coffee until high school at the earliest. Going all out this morning sir?" she asked, glancing at the breakfast preparations before picking up a slice of toast.

Jack shrugged. "It's your first day of school, thought we should have something more exciting than cereal."

She smiled, turning to hide it so he wouldn't see. Letting the comment about first day of school drop, she picked up a slice of toast and instead said, "Thank you sir."

Breakfast was soon served up, Sam pouring her second cup of decaf with her meal, though not finishing it. With so much food, she'd not been able to find the room for two cups like she usually did with breakfast. Finishing, she got up, rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher. "I'm going to check my bag again, sir," she said.

Jack looked up from the morning paper, and frowned slightly. "I thought you did that last night," he replied.

Sam just shrugged ruefully. "It can't hurt to check again, it is my first day," she told him.

"Just don't take too long, we should probably head out soon. In my experience, the first week or so of school is a little chaotic," he said, his own amusement evident, but he wisely refrained from making any further comments about Sam being independent for her age. Sam just smiled gratefully, snagging the back to school list that already held two rows of neat checkmarks off the fridge on the way out of the room. Sam knew she'd packed everything from her double check last night, but she felt a compulsion she couldn't explain to check and recheck her supplies, as if she were embarking on an off-world mission, heading far from the gate where new supplies and forgotten items would be hard to obtain. Even though she knew it wasn't the case here on Earth, she still couldn't help it, taking comfort in the rituals of preparing for a mission. It might seem unnecessary or even silly, but she found herself clinging to these small pieces of normalcy in this all too unusual mission.

It only took her a few minutes to run down the list, this time mentally visualizing each item and where it was in her bag rather than unpacking the whole thing again. She'd just finished when Jack made his appearance in the hall. "Got everything?" he asked, eyes still twinkling but underneath the cheer she could read understanding. His outward merriment hid a mask of seriousness.

Sam ducked her head, avoiding her CO's gaze. After all these years together as a unit she knew he could read her like a book. She recognized that she had only to say the word and they would find some other way to get her into the school. In a way, that reassured her more than anything, firming up her resolve. "I'm ready," she announced surely, getting to her feet and leaving the supply list on the coffee table before finally looking up and meeting her CO's gaze.

His dark brown eyes locked with hers, searching, and then he nodded, grabbing the keys and stepping into his loafers without another word on the matter. Sam slowly released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and likewise put on her tennis shoes and picked up her overstuffed bag, following Jack out the door to the SUV they'd left parked in the driveway. She tossed her bag into the back and climbed into her booster seat, strapping herself in automatically.

"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school we go," Jack chanted cheerfully as he backed out of the drive, falling back into his usual pattern of dealing with serious situations by making jokes or being generally irritating. "We learn some junk and then we flunk, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho."

Sam groaned, dropping her head back against her seat in exasperation. They had a good long drive to the school, and Sam was a virtual prisoner in her child-sized body. She really wasn't up to being subtly tortured the entire way, despite Jack's good intentions. "Please, sir, no singing, I'm going to be getting subjected to enough of that as it is!"

Jack just grinned at her in the mirror, looking slightly triumphant at having found a way to yank her chain. "Aw, why not, we can sing the one about the Wheels on the Bus," he added temptingly. "I always loved that one."

She just groaned again, shaking her head. "You're favorite song is the one about bottles of beer on the wall," she retorted. "Please, just no singing."

In the front seat, Jack pretended to look crushed. "Fine, we'll do it your way." He paused for a moment. "How about we just sing 20 bottles of beer?"

"No!" Sam replied with finality, her hand creeping towards the restraints as Jack pulled to a stop at an intersection. "You even start and I'm outta here. I'll call someone from the base to give me a ride to school," she threatened. Well, she may be a virtual prisoner because of her child guise, but Jack knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"Oh, and how do you explain why you are wandering the streets all alone?" Jack asked, calling her bluff.

She scowled slightly, and then rallied. "That's not my problem," she said sweetly. "I'll just tell them my dad dropped me off on the way to school."

"Ok, fine, no singing," he promised, giving in while pretending to grumble. He fell silent as he pulled onto the ramp for the highway, distracted by the need to watch the traffic. Sam found herself gazing out the window again, lost in thought. Her memories of kindergarten were vague, scattered remnants at best. There was little in what she could recall to be of any use, and while her sessions with Sergeant Nichols and the brief stay at the daycare center had given her valuable information, she still felt vastly unprepared, having little idea what to expect on a day-to-day basis.

Added to those worries, Sam reflected on the unspoken words that had passed between she and Colonel O'Neill that morning before they'd left. She need only express her doubts and they'd find some other alternative to entering the school an all but helpless child. But even as the thought occurred to her, she dismissed it. She had yet to hear anything about the status of the return mission to P35-437 headed by Dr. Lee. For all she knew, the machine was still off-line. She itched to get her hands on the data, and it was hard taking the back seat when it was her own life at stake. But she had agreed to the mission, despite the unexpected complication of the machine making her appear younger than planned, she'd agreed to take on the appearance of a child. Bailing now would leave the rest of her team going in without her, and she had no intention of doing so. SG-1 was a team, and she was a part of that team, even if she still wasn't sure exactly how effective she would actually be on this mission. Regardless, this Goa'uld had been targeting faculty as well as students and their parents in some cases. Sam had no intention of letting the rest of SG-1 go in without her, even if what she would be able to do might currently seem insignificant.

The scenery passed in a blur as the two occupants lapsed into silence. Despite his earlier outward cheer, Sam could tell by what she glimpsed in the mirror that Jack was also deep in thought.

All too soon, Jack was pulling off the highway and making the turns that would take them to the school. Sitting up, Sam peered out the window as they arrived, surprised at the sheer number of cars, parents, children, and staff literally swarming over the school grounds. Children seemed to be forming into groups by age separated under guidance of faculty and staff. "Wow," Sam murmured, never having taken part with an adult's perspective of the first day of school. "Maybe we should come back tomorrow," she suggested lightly, levity fueled by just a touch of nervousness over the crowds. Even with the main body of the older students already in class, the number of children, teachers, and parents for the Lower School students seemed enormous, at least from her perspective.

Jack smirked at her weak joke, clear from his face that he'd read her unspoken concerns. "Sorry Major," he said, "You have a mission," he told her with mock sternness. "And no, I'm not putting another dollar in that damn jar," he said as he joined the line of vehicles snaking around the horseshoe drive, looking for a place to park. "The mission starts officially now, and I'm ordering you to be careful," he said, glancing back over the seat at her as he pulled into a recently vacated slot. A teacher was already heading their way as he put the truck in park.

Sam met his eyes. "Yes sir," she replied, sitting tall and returning his gaze. She'd made her decision and intended to follow through to the best of her abilities.

The Colonel held her eyes for a moment. "Good luck," he added.

"Thank you sir," she replied, and started to unbuckle her restraints. Jack unlocked the door and slid out as the teacher arrived, pulling open Sam's door and letting her jump down before reaching in and picking up her backpack.

"Good morning," the teacher greeted as she walked up. "And who do we have here?" she asked, looking down at Sam, clipboard in hand.

"This is Sam," Jack said, taking over as a parent would, and speaking for her. Sam bit her lip and let Jack hold her backpack to slide her arms into. "Samantha Lewis. She's just starting kindergarten today," he said.

The woman nodded, flipping through her papers. "I have her right here, in Mrs. Guilford's class. Her group is gathering right over there by the playground, next to the slide." The woman pointed helpfully, and both Sam and Jack looked in the direction to find a small group of children Sam's size already forming around a woman of medium height with graying hair pulled back into a neat bun.

Jack knelt on one knee, stifling a quiet groan as he turned her to face him. "Be good now, Sam," he said loudly, and then leaned in closer to speak quietly into her ear, even though the teacher was already moving away to a car that had just stopped next to theirs. "Don't hesitate to use that thing, ok? You've got it right?" he asked needlessly, referring to the emergency beacon that Daniel and Teal'c had delivered just the day before, the devices barely ready in time.

The items had been disguised as functional, waterproof, impact resistant watches, Sam's being child sized. If she accidentally lost it, or anyone found it and pressed the buttons, it would react like a normal digital watch. However, by depressing the various buttons in a certain sequence, the device activated, therefore minimizing any false alarms should the item be jostled or dropped. There were four different beeps the watches produced, alerting all of them and the nearby teams to whoever had activated the beacon. The time display would convert to a compass heading. Teal'c, Daniel and Jack all had military issue styled watches, and on Sam's watch, the compass points around the watch face had cleverly been disguised as designs to make her watch look more like a kids' watch, also with a vague military style not all that uncommon, including the camouflage print Velcro wristband. They had all taken immediately to wearing the devices at all times, even in the shower.

Sam nodded to Jack's question, showing her wrist, and then conscious of the number of people around her, and the goodbyes, some cheerful, some reluctant, some teary by both parents and children, Sam threw her arms around Jack in a brief hug. So brief he barely had time to reciprocate before she squirmed out of his grasp, taking on the appearance of the more eager group of children her age.

"Bye dad!" she called as cheerfully as she could, turning towards the group by the playground.

"Sam, wait!" Jack called, and Sam turned around confused. "Smile!" he called, snapping a quick photo with a digital camera she hadn't noticed him carrying. She scowled slightly at her CO, and he snapped another photo. "First day!" he crowed.

Shaking her head, Sam joined the stream of children moving in the direction of the playground. Halfway there, she turned back around, finding Jack pausing near the SUV, watching her. She smiled, and waved, trying to convey confidence even if she was anything but. Jack waved back, and snapped another photo. Sam rolled her eyes in dismay and trudged the rest of the way. She gave one last glance over her shoulder as she reached the playground, and her eyes sought out the spot where Jack had just been moments before. A car and a slightly harried mother ushering three children of different ages out of the vehicle and towards the school had replaced the now familiar SUV.

This was it. The mission had started.

Sam's first impression of the goings on was one of barely contained chaos. A seemingly endless stream of vehicles discharged children of all ages from as young as five to about ten or eleven or so. The older kids jumped out and headed confidently to the right places with little or no direction from faculty on hand, parents waving as they pulled away. Other smaller children were assisted out of cars and trucks, parents calling after them with forgotten items, or pausing to make tearful goodbyes.

Reaching the playground, Sam found a small group of five year olds and two adults. The one she'd noted earlier with the tight, gray bun was sternly correcting a young boy who had started to stray from the group, busy kicking pinecones. The woman corralled the errant child back in line before moving on to the next apparent lack of discipline. A second woman, this one much younger with short, brown wavy hair and cheerful hazel eyes approached Sam with a small box in hand, a clipboard balanced on it. She crouched in front of Sam and smiled. "Hello dear, are you starting kindergarten?" Sam nodded silently, her eyes busy taking in the activity around her.

"What's your name sweetie?" the woman asked, and dragged her attention back to the present.

"Sam," she answered. "Sam Lewis, ma'am," she added.

The woman smiled reassuringly, scanning her list and taking her distraction for nervousness. "Ah yes, there you are," she said, making a mark on the paper. "I'm Ms. Hans. I'm Mrs. Guilford's helper. She's your teacher. Let's get your name badge," she said, as she set down her clipboard and rooted through the small shoebox. "Here it is, let's just put it on now." Sam obediently stood still, despite the fact she was perfectly capable of pinning on the badge herself. She looked at the simple printed paper card inside a plastic protector, her shortened name surrounded by small stickers shaped like green leaves.

Sam looked up as the woman spoke again. "Now come with me Sam, we'll get your place in line, we're almost ready to go inside," she said, collecting the box and clipboard before rising and offering her hand. After a moment of hesitation, Sam took the hand, remembering how Daniel had done so that first trip out after her transition. This time, her nerves were for a totally different matter, but still she took small comfort in the woman's warm, sure grasp as the led Sam over to a slightly ragged double line of children, all about her same size.

"You can stand right here Sam, next to Nathan and behind Susie," Ms. Hans directed, letting go of her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," Sam replied, taking the requested space. The woman smiled again, leaving her alone with the other children as she went to greet another newcomer. She looked at the children around her, and saw that Nathan looked petrified, as if ready to break into tears at the slightest provocation. The little boy was a bit taller than she was, and had dark hair and glasses. She tried to smile reassuringly at the little boy, but her own nerves must be showing, because the boy took a step back and looked away, twisting the dangling strap from his backpack around his fingers. Looking to Susie on her other side, she found the girl cheerfully swaying as she chanted a little rhyme in a singsong voice. Her light brown hair was braided, and her movements made the braids swing about. She seemed content being in her own little world. Both children also wore similar name badges with green leaves. The little girl behind her with a long blond ponytail was busy as Sam was in watching everything going on around her, her eyes wide. Her badge said her name was Stephanie, but her leaves were yellow. She seemed disinclined to stray from her present location. From what Sam could see of the children in her new class group, a few were chatting or giggling, and others were wide eyed and curiously looking around them, obviously a bit intimidated by the mass collection of students and staff.

It seemed to take forever, but Sam knew that only minutes had passed before all the gaps in the line were filled in and Ms. Hans and Mrs. Guilford were calling the class to order. The line of cars had dwindled to a mere trickle, a few late-come stragglers or those delayed by the earlier long line.

"Now, everyone take the hand of the person next to them, that's right," Mrs. Guilford ordered, and Ms. Hans moved down the line, making sure the little group was connected. "Boys in this line, girls in that one, take hands and follow the leader in front of you."

Sam found she was still behind Susie, and next to Nathan, who sniffled loudly before wiping the back of his hand across his nose. This accomplished, he tentatively held his hand out to Sam, and Sam had to fight down the urge to refuse, accepting the slightly damp hand in hers.

The line began to move, following other class groups into the school building. Sam could see the heads of adults towering over their students and little else, and was somewhat grateful for the other little hand, even a germ infested one, clasped in hers. At least it was unlikely she'd get lost or separated, which no doubt was the point of the little exercise in caution by the two adults in charge. Sam was both relieved and embarrassed, and struggled to get a grasp on her emotions. She was perfectly capable of handling herself if she got separated, but it was something about her lack of freedom and being so small that the world seemed much bigger than normal that set her off-kilter. She was reminded of her earlier feelings that first time out in public after her transition, and was dismayed to find she was still affected by the world around her. She thought she'd adjusted well over the last week.

They entered the school and made a left, following the hall down to the end. Sam looked around her committing the way to memory, forcing herself to concentrate by falling back on her military training, mentally matching landmarks and directions with the ones she'd studied on the blueprints and directory while at the same time scanning what she could see for anything at all unusual or out of place. So far though, everything was unremarkable, this school not at all dissimilar to any of the many she'd spent time in as a child. No matter the level of funding, the basics were all the same.

Their class was in the front corner of the building, and Sam could hear the teacher ahead directing the students as they entered the room to take their assigned seats. Ms. Hans took up the rear, watching out for stragglers. Sam and Nathan arrived in the doorway and were directed to a nearby table, each place marked with the child's first name or nickname, the colorful taped on place cards also adorned with the same green leaves that were on the name badges. With the teacher urging her to her seat, Sam had little time to look at anything else. She found she was seated next to Nathan, and across from Susie. Looking at the other nametags, Sam saw that the little boy on her other side with tousled brown hair was named Jerry, and Bridget was seated on the other side of Nathan. A third boy, with curly blond hair named Mike, rounded out the little group of six. They were alternated boy/girl around the oval table.

Dropping her backpack on the floor, Sam looked around the room to find a total of three identical tables in the center of room, every seat with a name at it, bringing the class size to eighteen, the number matching her recollection of the average kindergarten class size from the school's brochure. In the center of each table was taped a large, colorful leaf in a bright solid color. Her table had a green leaf. The other two tables had a yellow one and a red one. The leaf motif was repeated around the room, this time all three colors mixed in with letters, numbers, and other age appropriate decorations above chalkboards and what appeared to be stations with different functions around the perimeter of the room. There were even different colored leaves taped to the carpeted floor. Before she had time to puzzle out the meaning of the leaves on the tables and around the room, the PA system came to life, first playing a bit of music, and then the Principal came on, welcoming the students back to school and giving a brief rundown on the day's important information before signing off.

Before much of the class had time to wonder what to do next, Mrs. Guilford was clapping her hands to get attention. "Ok, class, I'm Mrs. Guilford, I'm your teacher. Welcome to kindergarten. Now, before we get started, everyone stand up now, and face the flag over there," she urged, "Yes, that's right, now place your right-hand over your heart, like this," she said, she and Ms. Hans both making an exaggerated movement with their backs to the class. Ms. Hans moved about the room after a moment to correctly position a few children who needed an extra hand as Mrs. Guilford continued. "Now children, repeat after me. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…"

Sam straightened, the simple pledge grounding her in a way that surprised her. Her entire childhood, every school day had started with this simple ritual, and her life in military service gave her pledge even more meaning. It was all she could do to hold back from speaking or mouthing the words as Mrs. Guilford recited them, the words ingrained deeply in her memory, instead doing her best to mimic the other children around her dutifully repeating in a slightly ragged chorus what was still unfamiliar to most of them.

The pledge completed, the children were directed to leave their bags by their desks, and gather on the carpet in front of a large calendar display, permanent lines forming a grid on a magnetic dry erase board. Collections of magnets were grouped around the calendar, depicting everything from holidays and other celebrations to what looked like weather conditions. A magnetic flag was placed over Monday, obviously depicting the previous day's Labor Day holiday. A miniature school building was placed on the current day. Mrs. Guilford stood by the calendar and using a pointer, pointed out the current day with its little school magnet. "Yesterday was Monday. Now class, who knows what today is? Raise your hand if you know the answer." Mrs. Guilford lifted a hand in demonstration, and after a moment, a few hands tentatively poked into the air, and Mrs. Guilford chose a young, redheaded boy with freckles. "Yes, Tommy?"

"Friday?"

Mrs. Guilford smiled. "Good try. No, today is Tuesday. Class, let's say it together, today is Tuesday." A hesitant repetition answered. "I don't think Ms. Hans heard all of you there in the back," she said, motioning in the aide's direction, while Ms Hans pretended to cup her ear from her perch on one of the student tables behind the group, some of the children looking around at her over-emphasized movements and giggling. "Let's try that again," directed Mrs. Guilford, regaining the attention of the class. This time, the reply came with more gusto. Mrs. Guilford then repeated the lesson by going over yesterday again and then tomorrow, the class dutifully repeating the teacher as a group. She then selected Tommy for his good effort to pick out a magnet from a group along the side of the magnetic erase board to choose the weather for the day. Tommy correctly picked the smiling sunshine magnet, beaming over the praise he received as he sat back down with the class as Mrs. Guilford told the class it was September.

The lesson over, Mrs. Guilford directed the children back to their seats, she and Ms. Hans helping the class find their correct seats. Once seated, Mrs. Guilford called for attention again. "Now, class, let's all get settled in." She approached Sam's table, and glancing to the side, Sam thought Nathan looked terrified, some of the other children at the table not much better, at least to her perspective. The woman either didn't notice, or was so used to the sight of tears she ignored them as commonplace and felt the best way to deal with them was to keep them all busy. Judging by the increasing number of sniffles and wide eyes in the room, Sam was guessing the latter. She pushed the thought aside as Mrs. Guilford continued. "Now, you six are my Greens. So whenever you hear me call for the Greens that means I want you six. For now, I would like you to please take out your extra change of clothes and your towel, and put them on the table. Ms. Hans will be along shortly," she said, already turning to the next group. "Now, you are my Yellow group," she continued, the introductions sounding like an oft-repeated ritual. Despite her outwardly strict and no-nonsense attitude, it was obvious that Mrs. Guilford had been teaching kindergarten for a long time. After a short delay, the children at the table began to poke through bags, and Sam did likewise, pretending to hunt for things although she knew exactly where everything was in her bag.

True to word, Ms. Hans followed not long after, first handing out what looked like small bins of colored plastic blocks and laminated sheets with large numbers on them to the table next to theirs, getting that group started on some different activity. Mrs. Guilford was at the third table, and appeared to be helping those children sort items out of their backpacks and into drawers located under the table at each seat. Once the group with the blocks were working on what appeared to be some individual activity, Ms. Hans made sure everyone at Sam's table had the items out that Mrs. Guilford had requested of them.

She then took the little group back to the partial wall separating the coatroom and picking up a Polaroid camera, had each child stand one by one in front of the bulletin board and snapped off a picture of each of them. The woman handed the photo to each child, and even though the novelty of such photos was not new to most of them, the children seemed to enjoy being able to shake their photos while watching in fascination as the pictures appeared. Sam tried to imitate the actions and reactions of the children around her, pretending awe as the "magical" photo appeared. The last picture taken, Ms. Hans took the group back to the coat room and showed each of them where individual cubbies had been labeled with each child's name in a plastic sleeve hanging from the edge of a shelf at a height the children could easily reach. They were instructed to slip the pictures into the plastic sleeve, the name labels neatly covering the blank portion at the bottom of each Polaroid. The top shelf had enough space to store something the size of a lunch box and the folded or rolled towels. Under the shelf were hooks for coats or jackets. Another shelf near the bottom of the cubby gave enough space for boots or shoes, and the space underneath held two woven shoebox sized baskets, one to hold the spare clothing, and another just the right size to hold small items like gloves, hats and scarves.

When they were done in the coatroom, Ms. Hans took them back to their table in time for Mrs. Guilford to reach the third table, instructing those children to take out their spare clothing and towels, after leaving the second table with crayons and plenty of paper to color on. Ms. Hans moved the little bins of blocks to Sam's table, and passed out the large laminated numbers, the group instructed to place the appropriate number of blocks on the number they were given. Even though Sergeant Nichols had prepped her on usual activities for kindergarten, Sam was still dismayed at the extremely simple math project. The largest number was ten. Numbers were her life, but then again, she'd been able to do much more than count to ten when she'd been five the first time. Still, she took Nichols advice and pretended to concentrate on her given task as the others at her table were doing, using the simple activity to covertly watch the goings on at the other tables.

Each task was slightly different at each table, and as tasks were completed, the tasks rotated around the room until every group had their picture taken and were shown their individual cubbies in the coatroom and were helped to unload their bags. While waiting their turns for tasks requiring more guidance, some groups did simple activities requiring minimal supervision, or were taken to different areas of the room that had various themes, like a computer with simple age appropriate games, a playhouse, a section with various toys, a dress up area, or a corner filled with books and beanbag chairs. All of the children were given time to play freely or move about and explore the designated sections, getting used to the classroom as they settled in. Some of the bolder more confident children engaged others, other children played quietly on their own, and a few spent much of them time watching, needing encouragement to join in. No group spent longer than 15 or so minutes at any given task, and never more than 30 minutes in one place. Bags were unloaded, each item going in the same place in each drawer all around the room, the drawers already holding workbooks again labeled ahead of time with names. The two adults continued skillfully moving around the room assisting a child here, gently correcting another there.

Nathan finally broke down despite attempts to keep him busy and distracted, crying that he wanted to go home, and Ms. Hans appeared as if by magic, Kleenex in hand to dry the tears, redirecting the little boy by engaging him in conversation about the characters on his backpack. As fast as she had come, the woman was off again as soon as Nathan's tears had subsided back into sniffles, off to a little girl at the nearby table who's own tears had overflowed when Nathan's had started. The reason for the box of tissues on the back to school list became readily apparent. There were a few more sniffles around the room, but most of the children, while some still looked frightened, others seemed merely curious, and were easily distracted by the simple activities and tasks of unpacking and getting used to the classroom.

After barely more than an hour, Sam was beginning to think she much preferred off-world missions. Yes, she had to hike often miles when off-world, sleep on the ground, live off of MREs, and sometimes run for her life, but at least off-world she had a P-90 and some explosives. Her respect for the two adults rose several notches. Here were two women, armed with nothing more than a little authority and a box of tissues, who spent a large chunk of every day alone with 18 five year olds. Already, they'd wiped any number of runny noses, tied an indeterminate number of shoelaces, and redirected one child before it could degenerate into a full-fledged tantrum.

Still thinking of Sergeant Nichols' advice, Sam watched the children around her. Forgoing the tearful route, Sam took a path somewhere between eager and wide-eyed, allowing herself to be corrected a few times as she placed things away, intentionally mixing right and left a few times, as she saw many of the other children do despite frequent reminders and prompts from the two adults. She managed to cover her surprise as she was praised for completing tasks correctly. While she knew everything would be pretty basic, it had been a long time since she'd been complimented for something as simple as putting away a box of crayons in the correct place in her desk. Heck, it had been some time since she'd owned a box of crayons.

Backpacks slowly grew lighter as items were unloaded and stowed away, and the two adults began to assist each group of children in setting up folders for sending papers back and forth from school to home and vice versa. The two women placed preprinted labels with each child's name on the folders and added colorful stickers with pictures on the inside pockets of the folders, to further help the children in distinguishing which pockets were for what things. Letters, schedules, menus, and forms to be given to parents were passed out and dutifully placed in the left side pocket with the picture of the house, forms to be returned once completed the next day on the right side, that sticker one of a school. Sam scanned the letter unobtrusively while pretending to put it away in her folder with great care, seeing that the letter was one of introduction from the teacher, and several forms for emergency contact information and the child's preferences for snacks, allergies, naps, etc. The letter explained about the folder, and encouraged parents to check the folder daily, because all daily correspondence and homework assignments would be conveyed back and forth in the folders.

Directions were repeated several times for every task, with the additional backup of one of the adults constantly roaming the room, double-checking that instructions had been followed correctly. Activity began to slow down, and Sam felt like the sniffles started to pick up again as the more emotionally sensitive students became less distracted with the process of settling in. She glanced secretly at her watch and was surprised to note that barely half the morning had passed by.

Just as it seemed that half the class, or at least it felt so to Sam, was on the verge of tears, Mrs. Guilford was at the door, calling the class to line up, in the same order as they had started the day. After a bit of sorting, they were again directed to hold hands with their "partner" in the other line. The class was then taken on a brief tour of the school, again, made to hold hands, with Mrs. Guilford in the lead and Ms. Hans watching the rear.

Because of the size of the school and the shared facilities, they left the lower school building to go to some of the other major buildings. They visited the gym, met the gym teacher, and went to the large but currently empty cafeteria, visiting the lunch line and the table where they would eat at in a few days. They stopped by the library, meeting the librarian and taking a break on the tour to stop and read a story together with the librarian about a child on his first day of school. The children's section of the library was equipped with a well, where the students could sit on tiered steps around a large comfortable chair where the story was read, affording all a clear view of the pictures. The children were encouraged to talk about the story afterwards, a few children raising hands tentatively at first, with more eagerly joining in.

Next, they visited the auditorium, the two adults splitting the children into two groups and the class spent a little time in letting their voices echo back and forth around the large room, encouraged to stomp feet or clap their hands, many students forgetting to be intimidated by the large space with the little game. Each group took a turn on the small stage, waving and calling to the other group taking seats high up in the back row. They then went back outside to spend a short time playing on the playground. Sam saw several children hold back, and decided there was nothing wrong with watching. Ms. Hans smiled at her as she sat under a tree, but didn't push her or any of the other children hanging back from the group to join the more outgoing children boisterously playing and climbing on the jungle gym and other playground equipment or the smaller group beginning a game of Duck, Duck, Goose with Mrs. Guilford.

Refreshed by exercise, they trooped back inside and were led as a group to the bathroom and Sam had to hide her embarrassment over the group trip. Well, at least Nathan washed his hands, a teacher at each one of the restroom doors directing every child to do so if they skipped that step before they could leave the bathroom to get back in line, and praised the ones that did so without prompting. Sam kept her head down to hide flaming cheeks. None of the other children seemed the least bit shy with the teachers standing in the doorway. Once the group was finished with the bathroom, they were taken back to the classroom and collected snacks from backpacks, sitting at their tables to eat them. Sam was surprised to find she was hungry even after her big breakfast that morning. One child was selected to carry a small wastebasket around the classroom to collect the leftover bits and wrappers from the snack, a look of pride on the child's face at being given such an important task.

Papers with three simple outlined leaves printed on them were passed out afterwards, and the children were directed to bring out their crayons, glue, and scissors. They were instructed to color each leaf in one of the three different colors from the tables, the two women again skillfully moving about the room to be sure each child was following directions. Sam mimicked a child at the next table, gripping her fat crayon in her fist, prepared for the soft voice and touch of Ms. Hans, correcting her grip on the crayon while at the same time complimenting Sam's picture despite the fact that Sam had taken care to color out of the lines and not to fill the interior in completely.

Once all the shapes were colored, the class was directed to cut out the leaves on the lines, and then choose the color that matched the one on their table, placing the correct one in the center of the table and then gluing the other colored in leaves to a blank sheet of paper. They were told to write their names on the papers as best they could, using their name cards as a guide, and Sam wrote hers in the childish scrawl she'd been practicing. Some children had little trouble writing their names, a few could get only the first letter, and others merely scribbled something approximating letters. Neither of the adults seemed concerned with the varying degrees of ability exhibited around the room. The two adults had been armed with several sheets of computerized labels with the children's name on them, and Sam got the feeling that the collages left on the desk would also carefully be labeled with the stickers before being collected and that the activity and several others during the day were merely informal tests for them to learn where each of the children were. There was a nearly blank bulletin board in the back of the room covered with a smattering of similar leaves cut from colored paper that Sam suspected would soon contain the little collages. She also suspected that the leaves left off the collages would join the one on the table by the next morning.

That activity complete, the children put away their crayons and scissors, again, placing each item carefully in the same place in every drawer. Sam had time to marvel over the military like orderliness, but she supposed, given the sheer amount of chaos so many young children could get up to, such precautions were a necessity. She was also beginning to suspect that the rituals were something the children would be able to count on as unchanging, bringing safety and stability to the classroom and helping them to settle in more easily.

Next, Ms. Hans and Mrs. Guilford urged the children from their seats and over to the reading corner, helping them find seats on the floor around a wooden chair. Once everyone was settled, the two women started a song, one with easy lyrics and hand motionsthat all the children could quickly pick up on, even if they didn't already know the song, though most of them seemed to know Itsy Bitsy Spider. Sam stifled a groan from her place in the back of the group, choosing the location so she could watch the other students, and remain far enough away from the two adults to not draw much attention to herself. Still, she took the precaution of mouthing the words and trying to look enthusiastic while she made the appropriate movements for the song.

After the song, Ms. Hans appeared with a stack of papers, and Mrs. Guilford began to call individual students to stand up and receive the papers, which turned out to be rewards. The simple certificates had been printed ahead of time, the names handwritten in at some point during the busy day. Sam was surprised to receive one that praised her for being "courteous", but tried to act pleased over the recognition as most of the other children did, the other children not seeming to realize that every child had received some sort of acknowledgment, even if some of the traits had been repeated, or seemed like a bit of a stretch. Having spent the day with Nathan, Sam thought it a bit fabricated that Nathan putting away the toy blocks he'd played with after a reminder from Ms. Hans was being "helpful" but it seemed important that all the children be recognized for something whether it was being helpful, courteous, a good listener, or cooperative. After the little award ceremony, a sticker chart was revealed, bearing each child's name down one side, and the dates across the top. Little star shaped stickers were grouped in the first column by each child's name, and all the children had about the same number of stars. They were told that the stars could be redeemed for awards or various prizes, stars awarded for obeying the teachers and good behavior.

By the time they were finished, the children sent back to their assigned seats and the awards dutifully filed into the home side of their folders with the other forms, it was time to leave for the day. One at a time, each table group filed into the coatroom for any items that needed to go back home, the aide checking that nothing had been left behind. The class again lined up, some of the students remembering his or her proper place and partner without prompting. Those that were confused were quickly sorted out by the two adults, and led down the hall to the exit. The first day was over. Sam felt a mixture of relief and dismay. Given the repetitive nature of the lessons as well as their simplicity, Sam thought she might go slowly nuts. However, she was relieved that she would be able to handle things. She'd managed not to draw any extra attention to herself that day.

Following her class outside, Sam automatically scanned the waiting line of cars, easily spotting Jack and the now familiar SUV. She'd not seen Daniel or Teal'c all day, but wasn't too surprised. Daniel was shadowing another of the languages teachers for older students, and wouldn't be coming to her class until the next day. They'd spent so much time in the classroom that day even with the tour, Sam also hadn't been surprised not to run into Teal'c especially given the size of the school, so seeing a familiar face brought an instant sense of relief. Jack noticed her at the same time, and waved, Sam automatically waving back. Ms. Hans saw the exchange, and verifying that Sam had seen her ride, let her go as she and Mrs. Guilford were doing with the rest of their class.

She had to restrain herself from running towards Jack and the sanctuary of the SUV, barely greeting her CO as she tugged open the back passenger door and tossed her bag inside, clambering up inside.

"Eager to leave, are we?" Jack said teasingly as he got in the drivers seat at a rather more sedate place. Sam sighed as he pulled his door shut, already sending the last of the harness connections home.

"You better believe it sir. You know, I think this mission should qualify for hazard pay," she added.

Jack waggled his eyebrows her over the seat as he turned on the engine and buckled his safety belt. "Bored out of your mind?" he asked.

She sighed. "Like you would not believe. Oh, and I have lots of forms for you to fill out," she told him, deciding she'd had enough of mind numbing activities for the day. Besides, Jack would be expected to sign things on a regular basis, so it made more sense for the forms to be in his handwriting.

"Oh, goody, paperwork," said Jack, sounding less than enthusiastic as he pulled away from the curb, and Sam grinned. If she had to spend the day reviewing letters, shapes, colors, and holding hands to go anywhere, then her CO could put up with filling out a few forms. Sam would of course double check particular forms to make sure he didn't have her taking naps or anything. Actually, she could probably fill those parts out, most of them being options to check off.

"Anything interesting today?" Jack asked.

Sam shook her head. "No sir, we hardly left the classroom except to eat and go to the bathroom and visit a few other places. If there are any Goa'uld or Jaffa hanging about, they aren't in my classroom," she admitted. It would be too easy to find targets on the very first day. "Although, I could swear my teacher could be a Goa'uld underling aside from the lack of naquadah," she added, thinking of the strict, no nonsense attitude Mrs. Guilford had shown that morning, not allowing even the slightest of concessions for the first day of school. She ran a tight ship and could easily be a Drill Sergeant in Basic Training. Jack merely nodded, looking slightly amused.

"Ah well," Jack replied, "We didn't think this would be an easy in and out mission at any rate." He guided the SUV to the on ramp, and glanced in the mirror. "Hey, I'm in the mood for ice cream what about you?" he asked, looking hopeful.

After a moment, Sam returned his grin. "Sure sir, why not?" She could use a treat. Something chocolate maybe, with more chocolate on top. A little whipped cream wouldn't go amiss either. Jack looked pleased, and a few turns later, they pulled into a local Dairy Queen. Sam scrambled out of the truck as soon as Jack had parked, and the two were soon ensconced in a booth, digging into sundaes.

"I could get used to this," Sam said, spooning up equal measures of cold chocolate ice cream and hot fudge, closing her eyes in bliss as the flavors exploded over her tongue. There were some advantages to an increased number of taste buds.

"We could make it a habit."

Sam smiled, and shook her head. "Don't tempt me sir, I need to stay fit for when I'm back on regular duty." She spoke in a normal tone of voice because they were safely tucked away in a corner booth, isolated from neighbors and protected by the sounds of diners and staff as they went about food preparation as the restaurant beginning to fill with a lunchtime crowd.

"So really, how did the day go?" Jack asked, curious as he worked on his own enormous sundae. Sam had gotten a kid's sundae with some extra toppings and thought she'd be hard pressed to finish it, and not for lack of trying. She supposed she could skip lunch today, just this once.

Her shoulders sagged slightly at her CO's question, and she took another bite of chocolate heaven to fortify her. "I really hope we find our target soon sir, because I think I'll go insane. Do you know we did a math exercise today where we had to count out blocks? The highest number was ten." Sam sighed in resignation.

Jack's voice dripped with exaggerated shock. "Ten? You, who can do navigational and wormhole calculations in your head?"

Sam gave the man an evil eye across the table, but Jack just smirked back at her. She shook her head again, digging into the sundae. She could call it therapy. Ignoring her CO for the moment, she continued. "As if that wasn't bad enough, we had to hold hands anytime we left the classroom. I got stuck with Nathan and his runny nose." She sighed again, shaking her head over her misfortune.

"Nathan, hmm?" Jack grinned at her. "You let me know if I need to have a talk with this boy's parents now."

She leveled another glare at her CO turned parental figure. "You know," she said, "I think maybe it should have been you that was reduced to being the kid and not me."

Jack blinked, and then looked marginally contrite. "Hopefully, we'll have this whole mess sorted out soon," he said in way of apology, dropping his spoon into his empty bowl. Sam did likewise, leaning back in her seat. "Should we head home?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "You have a lot of paperwork to fill our after all," she told him, one corner of her mouth twitching up.

He groaned, and got up, picking up the receipt, and Sam slid out of the booth. "I guess I deserve it, no matter what I do I can't seem to escape paperwork!"

"Better you than me sir," she said with conviction.

_A/N: Um… Merry Christmas? What can I say? I hope the length makes up for the long delay. Enjoy._


	19. School Daze

_Chapter 19: School Daze_

Getting Jack to do all the paperwork and forms backfired slightly for Sam, having forgotten the award certificate tucked into the home side of the folder. Jack teased her about it the rest of the afternoon and even as he dropped her off the next morning, he continued to give her a good ragging about it. Sam just rolled her eyes as Jack admonished her to be a good listener and pointed her towards her class group in show for the staff member heading their way. Sam joined her little class, greeting her teacher and Ms. Hans. Even though she recalled where she'd stood the previous day, she let the aide guide her to her place in line after the woman marked her name on the attendance roster and ensured she was wearing her name badge, which had been collected at the end of the previous day.

The second day started much like the first, the Pledge recited after the morning's PA announcement, and the students were asked to take their folders out and put them on the desk before gathering on the carpet around the calendar, repeating the same lesson as the day before except echoing in chorus that today was Wednesday. A different child was chosen to place the weather magnet on the date. Sam noticed Ms. Hans moving about the room, collecting the folders, removing the completed forms, and adding new papers to the folders while the class was occupied with the calendar lesson. The stack of collected forms were left in a neat pile on Mrs. Guilford's desk, and Sam wondered when the two women would have time to sort them. Likely it was part of the reason for the half day, for the students at least.

With school supplies already unpacked, the students were started on activities by table group after putting away their folders, some working at their tables, others going to different parts of the room either with one of the adults or able to play independently. Like the previous day, tasks and free play were alternated by group over the next hour or so, and Sam was able to make the connection that the leaves distinguished which child was in which group, until the teachers could identify children by sight without the benefit of name tags. As she'd suspected, the leaves they had colored the previous day were now laminated and taped to the table, and the little collages decorated the back bulletin board.

As if to underscore her new realization, the students were directed to stand up and gather in the center of the room, a game announced. Mrs. Guilford would call "Go," and on her command, children were to find a leaf on the floor that matched the ones on their desk and nametag before she called "Stop." Anyone not standing on a leaf, or standing on the wrong color leaf had to stand on the sidelines, and pretend to be trees. Ms. Hans, also playing the part of a tree to the student's amusement, occasionally would make loud blowing sounds and all the trees had to move in the "wind." The game was much like a variation of musical chairs, only the children weren't "out", they simply took on a new part off the game.

There was a lot of giggling as many of the children got caught up in the game. Sam found the laughter contagious, getting involved despite herself in the game until she was eliminated as the period of time to find leaves was shortened and a number of the leaves were covered with pieces of paper, removing them from the game and shrinking the playing field like the similar chair variation. She obligingly took up her place with the other children on the perimeter, playing a tree.

After the active game, the children were lined up and taken to the bathroom. They returned to the classroom only long enough to collect snacks before heading to the empty cafeteria, where they had their snacks at their assigned table, soon joined by the other two kindergarten classes. The room was still mostly empty, but it seemed more welcoming with the lights fully lit, and the three small classes of boisterous children.

Snack time over, all three classes went out to the playground, and Sam let herself be coaxed into a game of Simon Says led by one of the other teachers. Again, she found herself laughing not just at the antics of the children around her, but also at her own responses to the game. It was an unusual sense of freedom, not having to hold onto the aloofness of adulthood.

Back in the classroom, the class did another art project, this time simple shapes cut out of colored construction paper were passed out, and the children were encouraged to glue the bits of paper to a plain white sheet in any fashion that they liked. As the project wound down to a close, Sam looked up as Daniel hesitantly tapped on the doorframe; the classroom's doors and windows open to the seasonable weather outside. She smiled, and then ducked her head, remembering that she wasn't supposed to know Daniel. She pretended to concentrate on her collage, while Mrs. Guilford greeted Daniel, the two exchanging a few quiet words as the woman led the man into the room. Her teammate set down a briefcase on a chair near Mrs. Guilford's desk as the woman called an end to the art project. Ms. Hans began to move about the room, helping students put things away and clear their desks.

The project tidied away, the small class looked expectantly at the newcomer, some nervous, some curious. Under scrutiny of eighteen small pairs of eyes, Daniel swallowed, and then broke into his most charming of smiles. "Bonjour, les enfants," he said clearly, enunciating slowly. Most of the children looked confused, one bolder child giggled, thinking Daniel was just babbling. Undaunted, Daniel used exaggerated gestures to point at himself, patting his chest with one hand. "Monsieur Paxton." He then pointed back to the class, and spoke, "Bonjour, Monsieur Paxton." This time he made expansive gestures, pointing to the class and then cupping his ear. Sam joined a few students in giggling this time, knowing what Daniel wanted, but waiting until the class figured it out. Ever patient, Daniel repeated himself, and this time a few hesitant students attempted to say the foreign words.

At this weak response, Daniel's grin widened, and he raised a fist in victory. "Oui! Très bien! Very good! Encore!" Again, he used expansive gestures to show he wanted the children to try again. This time, all students joined in, some louder and surer than others.

"Très bien! Very good." Daniel repeated, and then pointed at the class and made the universal "come here" gesture. "Venez. Asseyez-vous," he said, pointing at the carpet in front of them, obviously inviting them to come and sit. Sam stood up with the first hesitant students, making her way to the carpet, the rest of the class following with more animated urgings by Daniel, and Sam couldn't hide her smile as she took a seat on the carpet. While he still looked vaguely uncomfortable at being the center of attention of so many, he appeared to be enjoying himself. Languages were his element after all, and whether his target group was five or fifty, he'd find a way to teach them.

Once the class was settled in front of him, Daniel opened up his briefcase and began to remove colorful pictures from it, one at a time, holding each one up so all could see. Switching to English, he asked the class what each item was. Tentative hands poked into the air at the first picture, and he selected a child named Billy.

"Ball?" asked the little boy tentatively.

"Yes, Oui," Daniel replied, in both English and French. "In France, we say ballon. Can everyone say ballon?" A hesitant chorus responded. "Très bien, very good!" He pulled out another picture, this one of a car. A different child was selected to name the item in English, and Daniel then provided the French word, having the class repeat it to his satisfaction. He did this with ten simple pictures of common, familiar objects, and having identified them all in English and French, he then held up the first picture again, the one of the ball.

"What is this?" he asked, pointing this time to a little girl, shyly sitting in the back.

The girl frowned slightly. "A ball?"

"Oui, a ball, but in France?" Sam was slightly prepared when Daniel called on her, even though she'd not raised her hand.

She pretended to concentrate, despite the fact that she'd studied French as part of her prerequisites for her Master's degree. "Ballon?" she asked, as if unsure.

Daniel beamed, and responded as if she were any of the other students, and Sam couldn't help but return his grin with a genuine smile of her own. "Oui! Très bien! Very good! In France, we call this a ballon. Now, classe, what is this in France?" he asked, moving on and holding up the picture of the car. A hand or two went up, and Daniel picked one, looking even more excited when the child repeated the correct French word for the item, albeit with a thick accent of English and unfamiliarity. The child practically glowed over Daniel's praise, even though half of it was in French. He went through the pictures, getting the French words more often than not.

At the end of the lesson, he again pointed to himself, raising eyebrows in a comically questioning gesture, drawing out a few giggles. A few children, Sam included, dutifully chorused "Monsieur Paxton." Daniel grinned, and then said, "Goodbye, Au revoir." He pointed again at himself, then the class. "Au revoir, Monsieur Paxton," he supplied, and cupped his ear dramatically. A few more students giggled, but most of the class chorused "Au revior, Monsieur Paxton." Daniel bowed theatrically to the class causing a few more giggles, and then told the class, "Au revoir, les enfants," gathering his briefcase and heading toward the door, wading in among the students, telling many of them individually by name goodbye in French. More giggles as the kids tried to repeat au revoir, and some simply said goodbye, most of the class waving in farewell. Under the cover of this one on one treatment, Daniel managed to slip Sam a small folded square of paper, which she placed immediately into her pocket, under cover of deliberately mangling the simple French words. Daniel squeezed her shoulder, and wended his way through the cluster of children, pausing here and there before leaving out the door, followed by another chorus of mixed French and English farewells.

He'd barely disappeared out the door before Mrs. Guilford and Ms. Hans came to the front of the class. They had all the children standing up around them in a group. Sam stifled a groan as the two women led the children in an all too familiar song that had accompanying body movements, and Sam dutifully mimed the actions as she chanted the lyrics to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, trying to look enthusiastic. The little song was followed by a story over at the reading corner. After the story, it was time to go home. There were no awards handed out today, but the sticker chart was again displayed. Apparently, the children needed only to collect ten stars to earn a small prize from a little chest, which held things like stickers, bouncy balls and colorful pencils. During the day the two adults had made points to award children with stars during the day, when caught following directions or doing something especially well. At the end of the day, most of the children still had an equal number of stars despite a few of the children having had a rough morning, bursting into tears or throwing tantrums. One child in Sam's group had even had the misfortune to wet his pants while sitting near her on the carpet, much to her dismay. A janitor had been summoned to clean the spot on the carpet, but it had not been Teal'c, while Ms. Hans took the unfortunate student to the bathroom with his spare change of clothing with a large box of wet wipes and a plastic bag to send the soiled clothes home in. The reason for the extra change of clothes now made perfect sense to Sam, though she devoutly hoped that these sorts of "accidents" were a rare occurrence. Tomorrow was the first full day of school, and Sam wondered how she'd manage it. She was exhausted after these two half days, and looking around at the children around her as they gathered their things, the rest of the class fared little better.

The folded square Daniel had slipped her felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket, but Sam suspected that Daniel had no real news, and was merely trying to find a way to establish communication with the rest of the team during the week. Still, it was all she could do to wait patiently as the children were lined up and led outside, dutifully holding hands. Sam stood on tiptoes, and spotted the top of the SUV and Jack's graying head next to it, waving enthusiastically to catch the attention of one her teachers so they'd let her go.

"Hi Dad!" she greeted for the benefit of nearby staff as she climbed into the back seat.

"Did you have fun today?" Jack asked, hiding amusement as Sam buckled herself in with record speed.

"Oh, loads," she returned, then wriggled around as Jack closed his door and started the engine. "Daniel came to our class today, he slipped me a note. It's probably nothing, but I haven't had a chance to look at it without drawing attention." A bit more wriggling, and Sam withdrew the small square of torn off notebook paper, covered in an all too familiar scrawl. As she'd suspected, it held little of any import, but it was nice to see something, anything, regarding the mission. "Met T. All is quiet. See you Saturday. D." she read aloud from the little note, and sighed. "Ah well, it's only the second day," Sam said, unable to keep a little disappointment from her voice.

"I'm sure we'll find a lead soon," Jack said, also looking a little disappointed. Then he brightened. "I know, we should go get some ice cream."

Sam laughed, and shook her head. "Really sir, if it's all the same, I'm tired and I'd rather just go home and get some lunch." She chose not to mention that her decision had more to do with the fact that skipping a real meal and substituting it with pure sugar had caused her to spend half the previous afternoon feeling jittery and unable to stay focused for very long on any one task. That period had been followed by a level of fatigue and irritation that resulted in her avoiding the Colonel for the rest of the evening, rather than risking insubordination, especially after he'd found the award tucked in with the routine paperwork.

Jack gave her a shrewd glance in the mirror as he turned out of the school drive and onto the street. Obviously, he'd noticed her somewhat uncharacteristic behavior last night, but wisely chose not to comment on it, noting the slight slump of her shoulders and the frown lines etched in her forehead. "Home it is, maybe we should watch a movie tonight, have a little popcorn or something after dinner later," he suggested.

She agreed, and sighed, settling back in her seat to watch the scenery pass by. The day had been tiring, and tomorrow's full day promised to be even more so.

True to word, the two of them spent an evening quietly at home, eating a simple lunch on the back deck and enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine. Sam related Daniel's first day of instruction to the Colonel, deciding that Daniel wouldn't mind taking a little of the heat of Jack's teasing off her. They ordered out for dinner, getting Chinese since they'd forgone the ice cream earlier. The skipped the popcorn and ate their dinner in the living room watching TV, paper cartons arrayed on the coffee table much like team night.

After the movie, Sam went out to the kitchen, and got down her lunch bag and a few things using her step stool. She was at the island absorbed in her task when she heard Jack enter the room, pausing in the doorway. He cleared his throat. "Whatcha doing?" he asked.

Sam looked up from the two slices of bread in front of her. "I'm making my lunch for tomorrow, sir," she replied. Jack frowned slightly, watching her silently, his forehead slightly creased. He wanted to say something but was biting his lip. She looked back up. "What is it, sir?"

Jack shook his head. "I feel like I should be doing that," he answered, and held up a hand. "I know, I know, you can do it. But I wish you could see how you look," he told her, and turned to put a few leftover bits from dinner away where they belonged before coming to lean companionably across the counter from her.

Looking down, Sam looked at her preparations, and then shrugged, smiling slightly. "I guess not many five year olds make their own lunches," she replied, putting the sandwich together and reaching for the plastic wrap.

He nodded, and then frowned slightly at the sandwich she'd just made. One eyebrow went up. "Peanut butter and jelly?" he asked, a note of teasing in her voice.

She met his gaze levelly, chin lifted slightly. "I am five sir," she answered, and then put the sandwich in the soft-sided blue lunch bag, adding a bit of fruit, a juice box, and a granola bar. Jack's frown returned. She looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

Jack just shook his head, and went to the cupboards, rooting around before reappearing with a pudding cup, adding it to the bag. "You're five," he returned to her blank look. "Wheat bread, fruit, granola. I can't have people thinking I'm some sort of health food junkie," he teased.

Sam giggled. "Oh, we definitely can't have that," she agreed, and reached for two more slices of bread, already spreading the first with peanut butter. She looked up as she added jelly to the second slice and shrugged at his questioning look. "It's been a long time since I've had one of these. Thought I should practice my reaction," she explained innocently. "Want some? We did skip dessert." Without waiting for reply, she sliced the sandwich in half and slid the plate towards the Colonel after taking one half. Jack grinned, but relieved the plate of the second half.

The two munched in silence, Jack returning the peanut butter and bread back to the cupboard, and Sam put the jelly and her lunch bag in the fridge. Jack popped the remains of the snack into his mouth around a huge yawn and Sam smiled ruefully, smothering her own answering yawn.

"Think I'll turn in," she said.

Jack nodded. "I'm just gonna watch the end of the game, and I'll be right behind you," he promised.

"Night Dad," she said, lips quirking into a little smile.

"Night Daughter," he replied over his shoulder, heading for the living room. Sam yawned, and headed down the hall. Tomorrow was going to be another big day.

_A/N: Special thanks to Jenny, for her corrections on French word use and grammar. Merci. ____ If there are any leftover mistakes, neither Jenny nor the author is at fault. Blame Babel Fish. (points accusingly at translator program) I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and a Happy New Year. Me? I slept through the New Year, and I hope the rest of you had a more exciting time. They do say that you should do something at midnight that you would want to do the rest of the year, and I'd really like to sleep better. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it._


	20. Bad Days Come in all Sizes

_Chapter 20: Bad Days Come in All Sizes_

Sam ducked her head to hide a sudden smile, pretending to be absorbed in the simple sorting task in front of her rather than the discussion between two of her tablemates about their favorite colors and whose was better. Thursday had passed unremarkably, and she was now into her second full day of school. Thus far, she'd not found anything unusual at the school, but she still had to find a way to get away from the class, even if only for brief periods. Unfortunately, the two adults had kept close handle on all the children, quick to remind or gently correct any child that seemed the least bit confused, and they'd not gone anywhere out of the classroom except as a large group. Even then, they always held hands and were kept from straying or wandering off. It did not seem likely in the near future that she'd be able to freely wander the halls, so she had to content herself for the time being with the limited exposures she was given. She hoped that Daniel and Teal'c were having better luck, but the opportunity to speak with either man had not presented itself. In fact, she hadn't seen Daniel since his lesson, and she hadn't seen Teal'c at all yet. All SG-1 had at the moment was the fact that Daniel had seen Teal'c and no one had activated their emergency beacon.

Meanwhile, she was more or less a captive of the daily kindergarten activities, which she was finding to be overly simplistic and repetitive. To help the students settle in, the class had already fallen into a pattern of lessons and activities that were repeated with only minor variations. They came in, put away their things, took out their folders, listened to the announcements and recited the pledge. Next they took on the calendar activity, followed by a little movement song to get them all warmed up before starting on some sort of activity, usually split up into groups. Activities were starting to morph from ones designed to test the varied level of skills to ones geared at learning how to perform tasks as a class.

To her surprise, Sam found she wasn't as bored as she thought she would be. She spent a lot of time watching her classmates, and getting used to the idea that no one thought she was anything more than she appeared to be. The other students were starting to relax into the rituals of classroom life and even Nathan began to look less terrified. There were still occasional tantrums and tears especially in the beginning of the day, but already the students were beginning to look forward to favored activities. She found herself covertly watching the children around her, curious about them while she looked for opportunities to break away from them in the near future.

In her own group, Bridget and Mike were outgoing. In fact, Bridget reminded Sam a lot of little Katie, and seemed to flower when she had others to direct in how to do things. In the yellow group, when the various groups were merged for different activities, Sam found little Tommy also liked to get his own way, but he tended to be loud, pushy, and demanding unlike Bridget. He also tended to grab or push to get to what he wanted, using his larger size to advantage. In the same group, Amy tended to hold back, taking in the activities with wide, startling blue eyes. Unless one of the teachers or other children drew her out, the little girl tended to spend the activity period watching or daydreaming.

When the Greens and Reds came together, Sam could only smile over Rolando. The young Hispanic boy had amazingly dark eyes and a captivating smile. He was happiest when they spent time in the reading corner, and already in the first week he'd gotten so absorbed in paging through a picture book that the teachers had had to remind him it was time to move on. He absolutely loved story time, which Sam had quickly realized was an integral class activity, and she was startled to find she enjoyed it almost as much as the other children. There were also a number of fairly shy children, like Jaycee and Julie. Both girls had short brown hair, and the two seemed content to play independently unless the teachers or one of the more outgoing children engaged them.

Sam smiled as Jerry, seated at her table, explained to Mike why he had to be careful about closing his closet at night. She was learning that the children in this age group had very active imaginations. Jerry had previously drawn a picture of an imaginary being that lived in his closet, and Mike was skeptical. His father had told the darker haired boy in no uncertain terms that monsters did not exist. She shook her head, turning back to her own task before shifting in her seat with a slight frown. She was also coming to realize that children this age had much smaller bladders and was beginning to rethink the wisdom of having that second cup of coffee this morning. With a furtive look at the clock, she stifled a groan. There was almost an hour until the scheduled bathroom break.

Ordinarily, she'd have no trouble waiting, but her child body rebelled at the thought, sending more and more urgent signals to her mind, making her squirm in her seat. She glanced around the room, finding the rest of the children engaged in their assigned activities. Ms. Hans was busy in the supply closet at the big sink, washing out trays for some later activity that day. Mrs. Guilford had her back to them, working with a small group by the window. Clearly remembering where the bathroom was from their trips the last few days and her mental recall of the blueprints and directory, Sam stood quietly and slipped out of the room. After all, the bathroom was just down the hall, and she saw no reason for someone to escort her. She made her way, finding something eerie about traveling the deserted hallways. So far, she'd only come this way during the scheduled trips, and without the rest of the class everything seemed even bigger than usual. The voices of teachers and students filtered out to the hall as she passed the other classrooms, and her footsteps made little sound on the carpeted floor.

She knew it was silly, but the restroom seemed larger than ever, the empty stalls echoing with her footfalls. Still, she chose not to linger. It was almost a relief to come back to the bright, cheerful classroom. Preoccupied as she was, she hardly noticed when a figure stopped in front of her, blocking her way back to her seat. She looked up into the relieved and dismayed face of Mrs. Guilford.

"Where have you been?" the woman demanded in a no-nonsense tone.

Sam blinked in surprise. "The bathroom," she replied honestly.

"The bathroom?" Mrs. Guilford replied, a frown beginning to form on her face. "Have you no idea Miss Lewis, that Ms. Hans and I were getting worried about you? Ms. Hans was just about to go looking for you."

Sam frowned back, feeling a little confused at why Mrs. Guilford seemed so unhappy. "I was only gone a few minutes," she said, looking around the classroom to see that the groups had moved. Just her luck, they must have changed stations just after she'd left. For the sake of a few minutes, her absence might never have been noticed.

"A few minutes!" exclaimed the teacher, hands on hips. "And did you ask permission?"

Swallowing, Sam tried to focus on the present, but her mind was locked onto the fact that a little thing like going to the bathroom had turned into a big deal. "I knew the way," she defended, trying to infuse her tone with reassurance. After all, shouldn't they be pleased she was independent?

Obviously not, since Mrs. Guilford's frown deepened. Before Sam had time to think, the teacher had turned her around and was marching her toward the front corner near the teacher's desk. "I think you, young lady, need to spend some time in the time out corner, reflecting over respect. And next time, remember that in this class, we ask permission before leaving the classroom." With that, she seated Sam in the time out chair. Sam stared down at her lap, her cheeks on fire. She could hardly believe that she'd just gotten in trouble for going to the bathroom!

The next five minutes seemed to drag by, and it was all she could do to keep from fidgeting. She barely heard the lecture that Mrs. Guilford gave her upon her release, merely trying to look contrite and inserting a few "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" responses when appropriate. With some relief and no little consternation, she let Ms. Hans lead her back to her group, getting her involved, however late, in the assigned activity. She sighed as the aide moved away from her, pretending to become absorbed in her task. Glancing covertly at her watch, Sam saw that it was almost time for Daniel's lesson. Likely, one or two more projects, and then they'd have a break after Daniel. She looked up as she saw that Ms. Hans was now carrying out trays and cups from the utility room as Mrs. Guilford instructed the class to put away their supplies and explained the new activity. They would be painting watercolors.

Sam wasn't particularly excited, but she was getting used to that. Dutifully, she took a thick sheet of paper, and tried to look eager as Ms. Hans left little trays of paint and cups of water on the table, and Mrs. Guilford took each table back to the coatroom to get their smocks. Soon, the class was involved in the project. Sam hadn't gotten very far when she was showered with fine water droplets. Mike was blissfully removing the excess water from his brush by banging it on the edge of the cup. He stopped, and Sam narrowed her eyes slightly, deciding to ignore it. No one else seemed bothered. Unfortunately, little time had passed before she was again showered with droplets. Murmurs and protests from her tablemates showed that this time, she wasn't the only one. Mike shrugged slightly. "Sorry," he mumbled, turning back to his painting, everything else forgotten. Sam bent back to hers, until she again felt the telltale spray of water.

"Mike!" she admonished. Mike shrugged again, but offered no apology. Sam sighed. She wasn't really interested in painting, especially not if she kept getting peppered with the dirty water from rinsing the paintbrushes. The next time when it happened, she shot a hand out, stopping the little boy mid shake. "Mike, stop it," she told him, "You're getting everything wet."

Mike frowned at her, and then seemed to make up his mind. "Make me," he said, a defiant look crossing his face.

Sam's brows creased. "That's not nice," she told him, removing her hand. Mike just stuck out his tongue at her, and went back to his artwork, if one could call it that. Mostly, it just looked like a bunch of muddy colored smudges, mingled with droplets of various colors. It looked something like one might expect coming from a five year old with a short attention span. He'd changed colors nearly a dozen times already.

The blond haired boy only used his current color choice for a few strokes, and when he moved to rinse out his paintbrush, Sam was waiting. Her hand shot out over the water cup before Mike could dip his paintbrush in. She lifted her chin in challenge. Mike looked unhappy, especially when he saw the other water cup on the table was out of reach. Sam relaxed, pleased with her solution, when Mike's hand darted out towards hers unexpectedly. "See!" he crowed, aiming to get under her hand but misjudging, striking the cup and knocking it over. Paint colored water splashed across the table, but mostly towards her. The smock she was wearing was designed to prevent smudges and such from soiling clothing, but not to handle a large amount of water. Not to mention it didn't cover everything.

Leaping to her feet, suddenly soaked in cold, dirty rinse water, Sam cursed loudly and reflexively, not realizing that she was the cause of the hush to fall over the table.

"What is going on here?" demanded Mrs. Guilford, looking harried as she grabbed a handful of paper towels and headed towards them.

"Sam cussed," Mike gleefully announced, pointing helpfully in her direction. "Wanna hear what she said? It was really bad," he added.

Her cheeks flushed crimson again. "He knocked over the water cup," Sam found herself saying defensively. Instantly, she bit her lip, and looked down at her dripping clothing. Water pattered onto the floor with a steady drip. Had she just tattled?

"That's enough. Mike, sit down right now. And no, I don't need you repeating anything. I heard it just fine. As for you, young lady, that language is not tolerated in this classroom." Sam stared at her toes and the slowly spreading puddle at her feet, nodding mutely. "Now, take these towels, and go with Ms. Hans, she'll get you cleaned up." Orders given, Mrs. Guilford turned to the mess, as Sam's head snapped up.

"I can get cleaned up myself," she protested automatically.

"And I told you that Ms. Hans would help you," Mrs. Guilford told her firmly, turning back to face her.

The thought of having someone help her dress was too much for Sam, and all logical thinking went right out the window. "But I don't need any help!"

"That's enough. You've been telling me all morning what you can and can't do. So now you can go to the girl's room with Ms. Hans, who will help you get cleaned up, and you can come right back here and spend another five minutes in the time out chair. Am I clear?"

It was a struggle, but Sam somehow managed to swallow her argument. Right now, her mouth seemed to only be digger her deeper into trouble. "Yes ma'am," she mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

"All right Sam, let's get you into dry clothes," spoke Ms. Hans from behind. Watching her shoes, Sam allowed herself to be guided out of the room and down the hall to the lavatory. She spoke very little as the woman helped her out of the soaking wet clothing. Dimly, she realized that Ms. Hans was murmuring gentle reassurances along with instructions. Once she had cleaned up with the baby wipes the aide handed her, and was dressed once more in her spare clothes, she tried to smile at the woman. After all, she sternly told herself as they walked back to the classroom hand-in-hand, no adult in their right mind would allow a five year old to change out of dripping wet dirty clothes without assistance.

Of course, it was easier to think things over when spending five minutes doing absolutely nothing.

It was only a sign of how her day was going that Daniel arrived a few minutes early for his lesson while she was still serving out her sentence. She could feel her teammate's eyes on her, bur resolutely refused to look as she heard the instructors telling the class what to do with the wet paintings. The children were soon assembling on the carpet, cheerfully greeting Daniel, some correctly remembering to call him "Monsieur" and others forgetting and calling him "Mister." Daniel didn't seem to mind.

Before Sam had time to wonder if she'd been forgotten, Mrs. Guilford was releasing her from the chair. This time, Sam had to resist standing at attention during her second lecture of the day, instead, studying the floor to hide her unrepentant face. Embarrassed, yes, repentant, no. She had vivid flashbacks of memories about standing in a similar position while one of her parents explained why exactly she was being punished. She remembered vaguely that things hadn't always made sense back then either. On the other hand, she'd usually felt a need to question nearly everything when smaller. Her curiosity had gotten her into trouble more frequently than not, until her parents had learned to channel it productively.

Sam tried to melt into the back of the class group, but looked up only to meet Daniel's concerned gaze. She flushed again, and gave him a rather sheepish look, before ducking her head under the pretense of watching where she stepped. He would show up just as she'd been punished for something silly.

She was preoccupied for the rest of the lesson, even though she'd been looking forward to watching her teammate interact with a group of five year olds. Instead, she continued to replay the events of the morning, trying to figure out what she'd done wrong.

Snack time came, and she barely tasted the food she'd packed. Afterward, followed free play for her group, then a counting activity that she barely noticed and the class sang a song about the alphabet. She obediently trooped with the rest of her class to the cafeteria for lunch. She nibbled at her meal, eating more for habit than hunger, getting up when the period was over to join her grade in filing out for recess.

The kindergarten class came to the lunchroom a few minutes ahead of the rest of the lower school, and also went out to the playground before everyone else, having a slightly extended break period, which the youngest students seemed to need. Sam chose a spot under a shady tree, not willing to abandon her mood to join in with the active youngsters in their cheerful games, and she'd thus far found their good mood contagious making her join in despite herself the last two days. The youngest students seemed to play with unrestrained enthusiasm, but Sam only felt like watching today. Therefore, Sam was quite close to two fifth graders when they slipped away from their class near the end of recess and snatched a ball away from two of the kindergarteners in another class group.

The two older, taller boys laughed meanly, and began to toss the ball back and forth over the younger children's heads, jeering when the two smaller children tried unsuccessfully to get their ball back. One of the children quickly grew upset, on the verge of tears. Sam stood, looking for the recess monitors. None were looking their way, most having gathered near or busy watching the minor disturbance of a first grader putting up a good howling over a matching set of scraped knees. Several of the adults had gathered to calm the child, and most of the rest were distracted by the event.

Sam turned back as one of the younger children broke down in tears, and the other one looked near on joining his peer. Having had quite enough of the bullying, Sam marched over, temporarily forgetting her own small size and resultant lack of authority. Timing her move perfectly, Sam ducked in, using her shoulder to push one of the boys out of the way, catching him by surprise and using the opportunity to grab the ball out of the air. Keeping her eye on the boy she'd pushed, she backed away quickly out of range for retaliation, intending to return the ball back to the younger children as soon as possible. She never made it, a hand descended, catching her by the shoulder and Sam reacted instinctively, thinking the second boy had come to aid his friend and his size to claim the ball back. She dropped the ball while at the same moment stomping back with her foot, scraping a shin with one tennis shoe and coming down on a foot as she drove her elbow behind her, expecting to make contact with the soft flesh of the other boy's abdomen. Instead, she made contact with hard bone. She doubled slightly, cupping her tingling elbow, barely taking in the startled gasp of pain that came from a much higher location then she'd expected. Wriggling her suddenly numb fingers, Sam managed to look up into the very startled face of Mrs. Guilford. Somehow, the woman maintained a hold on Sam's shoulder.

"Samantha Lewis!" exclaimed the teacher, her hand tightening on Sam's shoulder, forcing her to straighten. "I have no idea what is going on, but I think you have had enough today. You are going to the office this minute. And you two," she continued, turning her attention to the older boys who were most definitely not in their designated play area, "Go back to your class, I'll be speaking with both of your teachers." Without another word, Mrs. Guilford began to march Sam off the playground as the bell rang, signaling the end of the free period. The teacher nodded to Ms. Hans, the two women obviously just having come out on the playground with several of the other teachers to collect their classes from the recess monitors.

"But," Sam tried to protest, intending to explain what had happened as she was propelled back into the school building.

"Not a word, Samantha," Mrs. Guilford said abruptly, cutting her off, "I've had just about enough of your mouth today. Perhaps going home early will teach you a little restraint," she said her voice slightly strained as she masked a slight limp. The woman seemed to be on her last nerve, and not at all open to any argument. In all likelihood, her side of the story would have little effect on Mrs. Guilford's decision. While Sam hadn't been trying to injure, she had meant to cause at least some pain. It was all she had when dealing with a larger opponent. She no doubt would have been more than successful if Mrs. Guilford hadn't had the misfortune to intervene. The lessons with Teal'c seemed to have paid off, and Sam's shoulders sagged in surrender.

The trip to Principal's office was brief, and Sam barely listened as Mrs. Guilford gave her name and the reason for their arrival at the office. The secretary directed Sam to the long wooden bench outside the office as Mrs. Guilford left her with an admonitory look. Sam's feet dangled several inches from the floor, and idly, she let one leg sway as she waited for her turn.

The principal, a rather imposing figure with a balding head that vaguely reminded her of General Hammond, didn't give her a chance to explain her side of the story either. Instead, he sternly lectured her about how it was wrong to hit people, especially adults. He dismissed her back out to the bench after informing her that he was personally calling her parent to have her picked up early from school.

She slumped on the bench, refusing to look up as the various classes trooped back inside, and the halls emptied out as the students returned to their classrooms. Through the closed door, Sam heard parts of half the phone conversation going on in the Principal's office, and her shoulders slumped even further. She barely mustered up a word of thanks as Ms. Hans dropped off her things, murmuring an encouraging word and giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She continued to stare down at the ugly, gray, utilitarian carpet, not even looking up as a familiar step approached. Brown loafers came to a stop in front of her, and she heard keys jingling slightly as the man shifted his hands inside of his pockets. Neither said anything, and after a moment, Jack retreated, and she heard his voice as he introduced himself to the secretary, producing the proper identification. He returned to her position, picking up her bag.

"C'mon Sam," he told her. She nodded silently, sliding off the bench. Jack led the way out of the building, to the SUV parked outside on the drive. He unlocked the door, and they both climbed inside, Sam leaning back into her seat with a sigh as she finished buckling her restraints. "Sam?" Jack questioned, and she looked up to meet his eyes in the rearview mirror. She sighed again.

"I don't want to talk about it, sir," she said, shaking her head slightly, and adding as his brows furrowed and he looked ready to protest, "Please."

Jack frowned, seeming to consider her words, finally sighing in return. "Ok, suit yourself, we can talk when you're ready," he added. Sam nodded in reply, turning her head to look out the window. A moment later, Jack started the engine, and pulled away from the curb. She stifled another sigh as she watched the school disappear from sight. Today had not been a particularly good day.


	21. Chocolate

_Chapter 21: Chocolate_

Sitting at the end of one of the chaise lounges and facing the back of the house, Sam bounced a small rubber ball against the pavement, moving only to catch the ball as it bounced off the wall and returned to her. She'd picked up the ball while idly wandering around her room earlier when they'd gotten home. Without conscious effort, it had ended up coming with her when she'd slipped out the back door to escape Jack's worried frown. Somehow, she'd managed to avoid talking to him about the day, but she knew that it wouldn't last long.

The afternoon was clear and warm, the cloudless blue sky allowing the sun to shine brightly upon her, in marked contrast with her mood. She knew that she was behaving in a manner unusual for herself. It wasn't her style to sit and brood, at least not without doing something productive. Usually she turned to her work, burying herself in some mathematical or scientific problem. She'd tried of course, but she wasn't able to go to her lab, seriously limiting her prospects. Reduced to what she could do using her laptop, she was only reminded of her current state every time she had to stretch her small fingers to reach the right keys. Added to the fact, her mind was just too preoccupied to concentrate on anything else.

Sam sighed, sending the ball against the pavement again when a dark shadow fell over her. There was a rustle of fabric, and a large bulk settled on a nearby chair. "Greetings Samantha," spoke a deep familiar voice.

She sent the ball on another arc, not bothering to look up. "Hey," she paused briefly, before getting her mouth around the unfamiliar name. "Mr. Murray."

"You are troubled," answered Teal'c, getting right to the point.

Still not looking up, she narrowed her eyes slightly, and continued to put the ball through the little circuit she had going, attempting to hit the same brick over and over. It was all about angles. She was doing fairly well when a large fist shot out, capturing the ball before she could, forcing her to look up. Her teammate's face was his usual mask, but she could see the concern in his dark eyes. She looked away, staring down at her lap, studying her small, unfamiliar hands. The silence lengthened and she sighed.

"I'm not sure I can do this," she said softly. She could feel Teal'c watching her, and smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her jeans. Biting her lip, Sam frowned, still not meeting the gaze that she knew Teal'c had on her. "I don't have any control. I can't even leave the room without permission and a chaperone," she added, frustration leaking into her tone.

Teal'c remained silent for long enough that Sam glanced over at him, only to find him gazing out over the yard as if trying to find something. Finally he spoke. "You will prevail," he stated calmly.

She shook her head. "At least you're confident," she told him.

"Samantha, you have already accomplished the most difficult part of this mission, you have successfully infiltrated. The rest will come in time."

"But what if I never get out of the classroom?" she asked.

"Then we will accommodate," he said. With that, he held out a hand, and Sam put hers out for Teal'c to drop the ball back in. "Come," he said, "I wish to see what we will consume tonight." Standing, Teal'c waited for her to gain her feet, following her back into the house. She took them through the kitchen. The Colonel had barely begun meal preparations and various ingredients were scattered over almost every level surface. He and Daniel were obviously in the middle of a discussion about her because Daniel nudged Jack's arm as soon as he saw them in the doorway, and both men stopped talking to turn around and look at her.

Shrugging off their scrutiny, she entered the room. "Sir, Daniel," she greeted, spying her backpack at one of the chairs at the table.

"Hey Sam," Daniel greeted as Sam began poking through her bag. Both men watched her curiously.

"Uh, Sam?" Jack asked as she withdrew her folder.

"I thought there'd be a letter in here," answered Sam, pulling out the note. She passed the letter over. "You'll probably have to sign it sir," she said. Jack gave her a long look before finally looking down at the letter. Daniel moved so he could look over the other man's shoulder.

Jack scanned the letter, pausing at the end, obviously rereading the last part. Sam shifted and waited, worrying at her lower lip. Finally, Jack looked up, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. "You hit the teacher?" he asked.

"It was an accident," she replied, glancing up at him, then looking away, avoiding the concerned gazes of her teammates.

"Cursing, back talking, leaving the room without permission?" Jack shook his head, looking back down at the letter as if he couldn't believe the contents.

"Did you really hit the teacher?" Daniel asked, adjusting his glasses.

"I didn't mean to," she replied.

"Sam, you've barely been there a week," Jack stated in disbelief. Daniel coughed, and Teal'c remained silent behind her, but she could feel his eyes on her nonetheless.

Sam sighed. She could feel Jack's speculating gaze on her as well. After a moment, she heard the letter rustling and the sound of a pen on paper.

"I've told Mrs. Guilford that I had a stern talking with you," Jack explained after a moment. Sam looked up to find her CO holding the note out for her. She took it and noticed Jack's lips twitching as he fought back a smile. "Really Sam, you've only been at this a week, and already you've hit the teacher."

She made a wry face. "Oops?" she shrugged. What could she say?

Jack paused, watching her for a moment. "So," he said, neatly changing the subject, "Who wants dinner?"

With a relieved smile, Sam dragged over her step stool, immediately taking over the salad preparation. Daniel and Teal'c both jumped in as well, and the note from the teacher was almost forgotten. Almost that is aside from a bit of teasing by everyone, and a few stories. They all seemed to have at least one story, even Teal'c, who told them about a time he had been upset with an unfair decision made by an instructor.

Eventually, the discussion wound around to the school and their mission. Daniel and Teal'c had both had successful insertions, and no one seemed the wiser. Neither man however had discovered anything at all unusual about the school yet, but Jack cautioned them not to become discouraged. After all, they had only just infiltrated and hadn't really been there long enough to find anything strange going on. After all, Seshat had managed to keep under the SGC's radar long enough that it was unlikely there was anything unusual enough to alert the casual observer.

It wasn't long until the conversation left their mission behind and slid into familiar SG-1 territory, particularly after Jack put a game on, and Daniel decided to cheer for the other team just to be contrary. Sam joined Daniel, and somehow Jack managed to drag Teal'c over to his side. Snacks were hurled at the screen and several times, Jack had to jump up, waving at the TV as if the players could somehow see or hear him.

By the time the game was over, Sam could barely rouse herself to help with the clean up, picking up an armload of empty bottles and cans and the half empty bag of M & M's she'd been munching. A girl needed a little chocolate after the day she'd just had after all. She managed to wish her teammates a good night as they departed before dragging herself to bed. As she got comfortable in bed, she thought briefly about the day, and then decided that she had the weekend to worry about it. For now, she'd sleep.

Looking up as she heard a soft footstep approach, Janet smiled when she saw who it was. "Sam," she greeted warmly, "Here for your checkup?" she asked.

Sam smiled. "Hey Janet. How are things?"

"Oh, not too bad," Janet replied, and then frowned as she watched her friend come further into the infirmary. Immediately, she put down the chart she was working on and walked around the table. "Sam, you're limping," she stated.

Sam looked surprised. "What?" she asked.

"You're limping," Janet repeated. "What happened? Did you fall?"

If Janet hadn't been so worried, the confused look on Sam's face, young as it currently was, was priceless. "I didn't fall," she answered.

"Then why are you limping?" Janet asked, pausing in front of Sam and looking down at her, arms crossed.

Sam bit her lip. "Honestly, I didn't know I was. I guess I'm a little sore," she admitted.

"Sore how?"

Now Sam wouldn't meet her eyes. "My hip," she said.

Janet sighed. Turning around, she picked a gown off the bed, and tossed it to her friend. Sam was forced to look up. "You know the drill," Janet told her in a no-nonsense tone. Not waiting for a reply she pulled the curtains closed, pausing outside until she heard a sigh and a rustle of clothing, confirming that the Major was following orders. While waiting for Sam to change, she retrieved the woman's chart, refreshing her memory on Sam's last checkup.

When she felt Sam had had enough time, she called out, "You decent?"

"Yeah," came the rather unenthusiastic response. Janet smiled, and slipped into the cubicle. Her smile grew larger when she found Sam, dressed in the oversized gown. It didn't help that Sam had tucked her legs up under the gown, and had wrapped her small arms around them over top the gown. Still, she cared too much for her friend to make any remarks.

"Let's take a look," she said instead, sticking to calm professionalism and getting down to business. She waited until Sam nodded before she moved the opening of the gown to take a look. "Sam," she said in surprise, "there's swelling back here."

Sam shifted slightly. "It's not really bothering me," she said, not making eye contact. "It's just a little sore."

"Hmm," she murmured reservedly. Without warning, she pressed down firmly on Sam's right hip. As predicted, Sam jerked away with a yelp, glaring up at her.

"Janet!" she protested.

Janet merely leveled a gaze at her. "A little sore?" she asked. Sam bit her lip and turned away. Shaking her head, Janet turned back to her exam.

"I'm just going to palpate a bit, Sam," she said. When Sam didn't reply, she continued with her exam. She didn't need to be watching Sam's face to see that even light pressure was uncomfortable, and her expert fingers located three lumps, two on the right hip and one on the left. "Well at least you're rotating sites," she said, putting Sam's gown back in order before moving on to the rest of the exam, including a set of vitals.

"Hmm, you're running a low grade fever," she said, checking the thermometer.

"I am?" Sam asked.

"When was the last time you took some Motrin?" she asked. Sam frowned, and Janet narrowed her gaze. "Tylenol?" Sam looked away and Janet sighed. At her sigh, Sam looked up.

"I didn't think it was that bad, Janet, honest," she said. "It was just an injection after all. Besides, have you ever tasted that stuff?" From Sam's face, she knew the elixirs were pretty bad. But even still, she knew her friend likely found it hard to admit that she couldn't handle something like a little shot without having to resort to using pain-relievers. But Janet was used to that mindset. Soldier first, human being later. Still, she didn't have to like it.

Janet sighed again, and began to pepper Sam with questions about her general state of health, deciding to leave the issue alone for the moment. When she was through with her exam, she gestured to the pile of clothing that Sam had left neatly folded on the bed. "You can go ahead and dress, Sam, I'll be right back." Sam nodded, and Janet slipped back out. When she returned, she found Sam standing at the side of the bed, and pulled the curtains open.

"Here," she said, handing Sam an oral syringe full of orange flavored Motrin. She suppressed a smile at the face Sam made, but was happy to see that she obediently swallowed the thick elixir, making another face. Janet wordlessly handed her the carton of juice she'd brought, and Sam took it gratefully. Taking a seat on the bed, Janet reached out and gently turned Sam to face her. "You know, I'm very tempted to stop the injections," she said.

Sam's eyes widened. "You can't, you know…"

"But I'm not going to," Janet interrupted. "I think it's just a local reaction, due to your smaller size and altered metabolism. Teal'c isn't having any problems, and you didn't either in the tests we ran. I want you to take another dose of Motrin later this afternoon, and another before bed. Make sure you have a snack or something to eat when you take it. I think the Motrin will relieve the symptoms you're having. You should feel better by morning." She paused, and placed her hands on Sam's shoulders, making sure she had Sam's undivided attention. "If you aren't feeling any better, and I find out you didn't tell me, I _will _stop the injections."

Sam swallowed. "I understand."

Janet let go, and Sam stepped back. "Good," she said, getting up. "So tell me, how's kindergarten?"

Sam groaned, stepping back from Janet and turning partially away. "Aw Janet, can't we talk about anything else? How's Cassie?"

Frowning, Janet looked down at her friend, before getting to her feet. "Sam, did something happen at school?"

Sam just frowned, and Janet wondered if she was pushing too hard, but she felt Sam needed to talk. "Sam?"

Her friend closed her eyes briefly. With a sigh, she reopened them. She picked up the pen from the clipboard that Janet had set down and began to fiddle with it. "Kinda," she said softly. "I got sent home early yesterday."

Her brows creased, Janet sat forward in concern. "Was something wrong? Were you feeling ok?"

Sam wrinkled her nose. "It wasn't that, not exactly. I sorta hit the teacher," she admitted, meeting Janet's eyes briefly before looking back down at the pen she was fiddling with.

"You?" Janet exclaimed in disbelief. "What do you mean you sorta hit the teacher?"

She made another face. "I didn't mean to. It just, well it just kind of happened. It was a bad day really."

Now Janet was torn between laughing at the thought of Sam being the holy terror of the kindergarten class, or sympathy for her friend. "For you, or for your teacher?"

Sam looked at her in surprise. She seemed to consider the question, and then she replied, the hint of a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "Probably bad for both of us. Janet, I got sent to time out twice! And before lunch too!" Amusement was beginning to win out, and after a brief moment, she joined Janet in laughing.

When they had both calmed down, Janet looked down at her now small friend. "Sam, were you this much of a challenge when you were growing up?"

In reply, Sam grinned. "Probably worse," she admitted ruefully. "I never meant to cause trouble, but things usually happened. I used to let my curiosity get the better of me more often than not."

Janet laughed. "Well, I probably wasn't much better. Look, Sam, I hate to cut this short, but SG-12 is due back soon, and I need to finish this paperwork. Maybe we can meet for dinner sometime this week." She was rewarded by a big smile.

"Sure Janet, I'd like that," Sam told her.

"Take care, Sam. And try to stay out of trouble."

Sam merely stuck her tongue out at her friend, making Janet laugh. Deftly, she reached down and lifted the pen out of Sam's hand. Sam gave her a sheepish look just as the warning claxons began to sound, coinciding with the likely return of SG-12. "Bye Janet!" she called. Janet gave her a distracted wave as her team filed in.

Distracted or not though, before the petite doctor got down to business, the thought of Sam in the time out corner was more than enough to bring a smile to her lips.

Besides, such information was bound to come in useful one day wasn't it?

_A/N: I'm out of town, but I took this with me, but no promises I'll get much done. (I'm on vacation!) I'm glad you liked the last chapter, going from the review response. I enjoyed it as well._


	22. A Little Intel

_Chapter 22: A Little Intel_

Contentedly, Sam tapped the keys to enter the series of commands she wanted. Having spent the previous week developing her persona at the school, she was more than ready to do something she felt useful. Something normal.

Something adult.

After her checkup with Janet, SG-1 had held a briefing with General Hammond to update him on their progress and discuss the mission. Thus far, they had little to report beyond their successful infiltration into Providence Day School. Despite their lack of tangible gains, the General had seemed pleased, and he'd dismissed them with a wish for good luck and a caution to keep their heads up.

The meeting adjourned, SG-1 had quickly scattered. Jack and Teal'c headed to the gym for a few rounds on the exercise mat, and Daniel had made a beeline to his office like he hadn't managed at least several trips to the base during the previous week. He at least had been free to go where he wanted after his day finished at the school. Sam likewise had hoped to head for her lab. Unlike Daniel, she'd not been able to go back to base at all since Jack had flat out refused to take her, pointing out the importance of them putting up the appearance of settling into their new home for the benefit of their neighbors. Sam had been unable to disagree with the importance of developing their cover.

Knowing it had been over a week since she'd last been able to really spend some time in her lab, Sam knew there would be plenty of things needing her attention. However, her tentative plans were quickly changed when Walter hailed her as she'd walked by, begging her assistance with a few minor glitches that had cropped up that he'd been unable to solve.

While it wasn't her lab, Sam was still in her element. Before long she was settled in front of the dialing computer, running a diagnostic with Walter hovering over her shoulder, a cup of coffee left thoughtfully in reach. She'd taken only a token sip though, Harriman being unaware of her current need to avoid caffeine. The man seemed to overlook the fact that she knelt in the chair in order to reach the keyboard. In fact, he seemed to even forget the fact she was in the body of a child at all as he leaned to point out a few lines of code, solely focused on the quandary at hand.

It didn't take long before Sam had the cause of the problem isolated. With a few more taps, she got the information she needed to find a solution.

"The calibration of the capacitors is off by 0.034 microns," she said. "That's what's causing the spike in power consumption you've noticed. Good call," she said. Harriman had been operating the gate now for years and was very familiar with the many nuances of the system. Anyone else likely would have missed the minute variation. The man positively glowed under the praise. Sam continued. "I'll just make a few adjustments to compensate." Walter watched attentively, and Sam made sure he could see what she was doing. Harriman had learned much over the years, and was independent with most run of the mill glitches, his expertise freeing her from all but the uncommon or the catastrophic.

It took only a few minutes to run the repair. "There, I'll just start another diagnostic, and make sure we've fixed the problem." The program began to run, but had only been going a minute or two when the gate began to spin. Klaxons sounded as red lights began to flash. Jumping in front of a nearby, unoccupied terminal, Harriman's fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Unscheduled off world activation, unscheduled off world activation," he announced surely into the microphone as the iris spiraled shut. Minimizing the diagnostic, Sam brought up the dialing program, watching the chevrons engage on screen. General Hammond arrived as the security team jogged into the gate room, taking up defensive positions.

"Report," Hammond ordered.

A roster of off world teams already open, Harriman briskly reported, "We have three teams off world, but no one is due to report back for at leas six more hours," he said.

"Receiving Tok'ra IDC, sir," Sam called out. Immediately, she wondered who it was, and why they were contacting them. While nowhere near as skeptical as the Colonel, Sam knew that the Tok'ra, even her father, seldom brought good news or dropped in just to visit.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, looking at the gate through the window, clear from his face that his thoughts were quite similar. Hand already hovering over the hand plate, Harriman pressed his palm onto the scanner. The iris spiraled open, the system automatically sending the authentication code.

The wavering blue event horizon appeared as the iris compressed back out of the way. After a moment, a figure stepped out.

Sam jumped to her feet, sending a belated glance at the General. Hammond was watching her with twinkling eyes. "Lead the way Major," he said.

"Thank you, sir," she replied, heading down the stairs. Even though she was the first one through the door, Hammond was the first to speak.

"Good to see you Jacob. My greetings to you as well Selmak." The General held out a hand and Jacob clasped it as soon as he reached the bottom of the ramp.

"George, how are you? Selmak says hi. Where's Sam, and who is this charming little girl?" he asked, squatting down to be at Sam's eye level and giving her a wide smile. A startled look crossed Sam's face.

"Uh, Dad," she started at the same moment Hammond said, "Jacob, perhaps we should go in my office."

An equally startled look crossed Jacob's face at her greeting, mingled with recognition. "Sammy?" he asked, disbelief in his tone.

"Hi," Sam said, a blush creeping up her neck as she wondered what to say. However, Jacob was no longer looking at her as he stood, narrowing his eyes at his old friend. Sam's embarrassment faded to surprise, but anger soon began to simmer as her father rounded on the General in accusation.

"Don't tell me it happened again," he exclaimed. "And just when were you going to tell me?" he demanded. Just then, Jack entered, closely followed by the rest of SG-1.

"Dad, hi," Jack exclaimed cheerfully.

Jacob turned his condemning glare on Jack. "What did you touch this time?"

Jack took a quick step back, holding up his hands in front of him while taking in belatedly the tension at the bottom of the ramp. "Whoa, there's an explanation."

"Oh, I'm sure," Jacob bit out.

Sam tugged at her father's sleeve. "Uh, Dad," she spoke up, trying to get her father's attention before the situation could deteriorate any further.

"Not now sweetheart," he told her, still focused on Hammond and SG-1. "Well?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Dad," Sam tried again more loudly while still tugging at his sleeve.

"In a minute, Sam," her father told her impatiently, still ignoring her for the most part. "This had better be good, George."

"Dad," Sam exclaimed in a tone that said she would not be ignored.

Reacting instinctively, Jacob looked down at her, and for the first time, he really looked. Sam braced small fists on hips and leveled her father with a glare that told him he had made and was acting on a rather incorrect assumption and that she wasn't particularly pleased with him at the moment. Recognition washed over the man's features.

"Sam?" Jacob asked in shock and disbelief. "Is that really you?"

Some of Sam's anger drained out. "Yeah, Dad, it's me." Jacob blinked several times, looking like he'd just been slapped upside the head. After a few moments, his chin dipped, and his eyes closed. When he lifted his head back up, Selmak was in control.

"My apologies," spoke the symbiote in reverberating tones. "Jacob is eagerly awaiting an explanation."

"I'll bet," muttered Sam, not so ready to forgive. It wasn't the first time in her life that her father had come in guns blazing, and Selmak's influence aside, it likely wouldn't be the last.

"Major," said Hammond warningly, and Sam flinched, remembering she wasn't alone.

"Sorry sirs," she mumbled apologetically.

The General coughed, masking his amusement well. "Why don't we move this discussion to the briefing room?" he suggested, a sideways glace at the security teams still filing out of the room, many of them unable to hide their curious looks.

Selmak nodded, and headed for the stairs. Hammond followed, and SG-1 let the Tok'ra get an appreciable lead before following. With a sigh, Sam fell into step behind her team. Honestly, she'd not thought about notifying her father. After all, they had things under control. However, judging by her father's reaction and the fact that Selmak had taken control, her father didn't agree with the assessment.

Arriving last to the briefing room, she saw that everyone had had either the cowardice or the courtesy to leave an empty chair on either side of Jacob/Selmak. For one perverse moment, Sam considered taking one of the empty seats left at the opposite end of the table, but rationality kicked in, stomping out the rest of her anger. After all, the last time her father had seen her as a child, she'd lost all her adult memories. So she really couldn't blame her father for ignoring her. It had just been difficult being treated like a child by the one person in her life that it had been the hardest to gain the respect of as an adult. And if she were honest with herself, he was the one person who's respect she was most afraid of losing, even temporarily, until she could be returned to her usual adult state.

Taking a seat next to him, she could only offer him a partial smile, as jumbled as her emotions were. The cool nod received told her that Selmak was still in control, but she knew her dad was in there, watching behind Selmak's temporary tight reign. As soon as things settled down, or when her father gave up his stubborn protests, Selmak would return control.

"Jacob, Selmak," Hammond began, seizing control of the briefing, "My apologies for not informing you about your daughter, but as you can see, she is in perfect health. I will also reassure you that, as you likely have guessed, Major Carter retains all her memories."

Selmak inclined her head towards Hammond. "Thank you General Hammond," she said. "You will forgive me for being blunt, but I am sure you know Jacob is most anxious. How is it Samantha Carter came to be in this state?"

Hammond broke eye contact, gathering his thoughts. Confident, he looked back up, and began to explain, telling Selmak, and by default, Jacob, about Providence School, and the likelihood that they had found another Goa'uld on Earth. The General left nothing out, quickly bringing the Tok'ra up to speed on their plan. When he'd finished, Selmak nodded silently.

"Thank you George," Jacob said, his voice once again back to normal when he lifted his head. He turned in his seat, studying her for a long moment. Sam shifted somewhat uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Sam?" he asked finally.

She tried to smile reassuringly, but in all honesty, she was too worried about what her father might think. "Hi, dad." Mixed emotions passed over Jacob's weathered face, and Sam realized that things were likely just as confusing to him as they were to her. Finally, he surprised her by sliding off the chair, dropping to one knee and holding out his arms in invitation while completely ignoring the scrutiny of everyone else in the room. Momentarily startled, Sam stared at her father before she forced her body into motion and slid off her own seat, letting him put his arms around her.

At first, she was stiff, but then he leaned to whisper into her ear. "I'm so proud of you," he said. With those words he somehow conveyed a multitude of feelings and Sam relaxed, melting into his embrace knowing nothing in their relationship had changed. His arms encircled her, making her feel instantly warm, safe, and unconditionally loved. She closed her eyes as he moved one hand up to cup the back of her head, and she pressed her cheek into his chest, inhaling deeply. For a moment, she could forget all the troubles of this current mission and all it entailed; free to travel pathways to younger and more innocent times.

Underneath the smells of alien soils, the smell that was essentially Jacob Carter filled her nostrils, somehow feeling more powerful than she remembered. It was comforting, and she could even overlook the fact that he felt larger than she most recently remembered. After all, she had older memories of him being so much larger than she. The two remained in each other's embrace, oblivious to the somewhat embarrassed shifting in the room, until Hammond cleared his throat, finally shattering the spell. With identical sheepish looks, the two separated, Jacob's hands lingering on her arms as he studied her face, seeming to burn her appearance into his memory, or perhaps comparing the way she looked to some memory.

Feeling the loss of contact and somewhat embarrassed by the half-hidden smiles around the room, Sam got back in her chair. After a moment, Jacob followed her lead, rising and smoothing out his uniform, returning to his seat. He cleared his throat. "You're no doubt wondering what brings me here," he said, getting right down to the business delayed by the news of his daughter's transformation. "Actually, I'm here about Seshat. We had wanted to warn you about her. She's been gaining power slowly, and has a supply of slaves that until now, we weren't sure where she was getting them from. We knew the Tau'ri would likely run afoul of her sooner or later, and wanted your teams to be prepared. She's been rather ruthless in most of her dealings, but we haven't been able to find her base of operations."

"You didn't know she was here?" asked Daniel, silent until the moment.

"No," admitted Jacob. "Somehow, she's kept her sources secret. It's made it difficult for the Tok'ra to get spies into her midst, which in turn has made it near impossible to determine her plans, or sabotage her supply lines."

"Did you not complete the census you were undertaking when you discovered Seth, identifying the locations of all known Goa'uld?" inquired Teal'c.

Jacob tilted his head towards the Jaffa. "We did, but Selmak thinks Seshat must be a fairly recent arrival. Her old base was deserted. We'd assumed by the signs of destruction that there'd been a battle and she'd been defeated. However, by your intel, she must have managed to escape with at least a small party of Jaffa. She couldn't have been here very long."

Jack frowned, but Hammond beat him to the question. "How long do you think she's been here, on Earth?"

Jacob's eyes lost focus briefly as he seemed to be conferring with his symbiote. "We aren't sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say within the last 15 or so years."

There was a pause about the table. "You mean, she was here before we reopened the Stargate?" Daniel asked, sitting up with his brow furrowed.

"She must have a ship," said Jack.

"Indeed," nodded Teal'c.

"That would explain a lot," said Jacob, again going silent as he seemed to discuss something with Selmak. He leaned back in the seat and frowned thoughtfully. "I must say, George, you've got one helluva plan here," he said, and then looked at Sam. "I'd like to know more about this naquadah suppression you've come up with as well. I can't sense anything from either you or Teal'c."

Sam grinned. "It's working perfectly; I can sense Selmak just fine. We had to go ahead without as much formal testing as we'd like."

Jacob frowned at her response, but chose not to comment. "So, do you have any leads yet?" he said instead, turning the topic back to Seshat and the mission.

"Not a one," Jack complained, "But we've all managed to integrate into the school."

"That alone is the hardest part," Jacob said, and Jack nodded knowingly.

"Jacob, Selmak, is there anything that you can offer?" asked General Hammond.

Jacob shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, the Tok'ra actually know very little about Seshat. She's a fairly minor Goa'uld and relatively new to the bigger playing field."

Daniel frowned. "There are mentions of Seshat in ancient Egypt."

Jacob only shook his head. "Don't forget we are very long lived. There's no doubt she was here with Ra, as were many other minor and major Goa'uld, but in all likelihood, she left Earth during the rebellion."

"Than where has she been hiding all this time?" asked Teal'c, the slight scowl on his face showing just what he thought of the parasitic race.

Her father could only shrug, looking regretful. "Like I said, she's been rather unimportant, the Tok'ra have had very little interest until now in her doings or whereabouts. It has only been recently that she's began to become something of a threat."

"So," broke in Jack, "Wanna stick around, help us nail another Goa'uld?"

Jacob's face betrayed his amusement, but regret laced his tone. "I'm afraid that we need to get this information back to the council," he said. "There may be other ways the Tok'ra can help, and someone else may be able to provide more information."

"Not staying then?" said Jack with his usual abruptness.

"No," Jacob replied. "Sorry kiddo," he added for her benefit.

Sam tried to hide her disappointment. "I understand."

It was little comfort that Jacob looked just as disappointed. Daniel shot them both a sympathetic look. "We were just about to have lunch, would you have time to join us before you go? That is, if it's ok with the General," he asked. Sam smiled her thanks as General Hammond nodded his agreement.

Jacob looked tempted, but he looked like he was listening to an internal conversation before he regrettably shook his head. "Selmak thinks we need to get this report back to the council as soon as possible. Knowing where Seshat is and where she's getting her slaves is a very important piece of news, and knowing that, there may be something we can offer you, or at least more intel once we put this information together with what we already have." He stood, and the rest of the group followed.

"Should we leave a light on for you?" asked Jack, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked questioningly at Jacob. The older man smiled and shook his head, but Jack beat him to his response. "Let me guess, don't call us, we'll call you."

Jacob nodded, smothering a grin. "You got it." The group began to head out of the room and down the stairs to the control room, but Jacob held back, letting the others get ahead of him. "You ok kid?" he asked, wonderment in his gaze.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah," she said. Below, the gate began to spin, a deep thunking noise indicating that the first chevron had locked already.

Jacob sighed. "I wish I could stay," he said. Two more chevrons locked.

"I know," she said, looking down. Jacob dropped to one knee, and held out his arms.

"C'mere," he said.

Sam took the invitation, melting again into his embrace. Jacob wrapped his arms tightly around her and she sighed. Chevrons continued to lock into place, and they would have stayed that way if an airman hadn't appeared in the doorway, coughing softly to alert them to his presence. "General Carter, sir, the gate is open."

Slightly embarrassed, the two broke apart. "I should go. You be careful, ok?" Jacob told her.

She nodded. "You too Dad." On impulse, she reached out and took her father's hand. Jacob glanced down in mild surprise, but then he smiled, giving her hand a squeeze, before following the airman out of the briefing room, hand in hand.


	23. Back to School Night

_Chapter 23: Back to School Night_

Sam looked around the crowded room, which had been transformed with a feeling of festivity. The school had been decked out in streamers and banners earlier that day, and was now packed with bodies. Not crowded with students as it usually was, but teeming with adults. Unconsciously, she kept close to Jack. While she wasn't the only child accompanying parents to the back to school night tonight, she still felt outnumbered. Besides the helpful faculty, many upper school students waited in the lobby handing out maps and flyers. And that didn't even include the numbers assisted by older students in the gymnasium, behind rows of decorated tables and pamphlets describing numerous extra-curricular activities at the school as well as volunteer opportunities for parents, such as recess monitor or classroom aide, which was the whole reason for them being here this night.

"There's an opening for lunch lady," Sam suggested softly with a hint of teasing as they wandered down the aisles, trying to sublimate some of her tension. An image of Jack in a hairnet handing out institutional pizza and mashed potatoes to elementary school students threatened to send her into giggles and Jack gave her an evil eye as if he knew just where her mind was.

"Ugh," he grunted. If he sensed her nervousness, he decided to ignore it and played along. "I can't believe I'm actually going to sign up for this stuff," he replied just as quietly. "Usually I just got volun-told by Sarah."

Sam smiled at the butchered word. Jack had been all for the expedition when he'd found out about the opportunities for parents to be more involved at the school. He'd been chafing about being left behind while the rest of his team all had an "in" at Providence, and he was left outside the doors every morning after dropping Sam off. It seemed he was having second thoughts now that he saw the actual openings available. She was about to make a retort when she was interrupted before she could even open her mouth.

"Hi Sam," came an all too familiar childish voice. Nathan approached from another aisle followed by a harried looking mother. The woman toted a toddler in one arm, and an armload of crumpled flyers, toys and other items in the other. She wasn't paying much attention to Nathan at the moment since she was half turned around, admonishing two older children that looked the same age. The toddler in her arms fussed and the two older children had been starting a sword fight using rolled up flyers. Oblivious to the semi-chaos behind him, Nathan smiled shyly and casually wiped his nose with the back of his free hand, the other clutching several more crumpled flyers.

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed, nearly colliding with her son, and losing her hold on a sippee cup and several other small items in the process. The toddler continued to fuss as the woman hitched her to a more secure position, and looked at the dropped items with dismay, blowing loose strands of hair out of her face. If she didn't look so hassled, the woman would likely have been pretty. As it was, brown hair straggled out of a ponytail, no doubt helped along by the fussy toddler who had a handful of hair, and several stains were visible on the front of her shirt. Behind her, the two boys resumed their sword fight.

"Here, allow me," said Jack, stooping quickly to gather the fallen items, presenting them with a flourish. "There you are," he said, "Mrs. Uh…"

"Johnson. And it's Ms." She added, taking the items and somehow juggling the child in her arms to stow them in the bulging tote bag on her shoulder. "I'm divorced." One hand now free, she presented it to Jack who took in politely. "And you are?" the woman asked.

"Jack. Jack Lewis, and this is my daughter Sam," he introduced himself.

"Sam's in my class, Mommy," added Nathan proudly; as if it were all by his doing that he and Sam were classmates.

Nathan's mother smiled reflexively. "That's nice dear. It's nice to meet you Sam." She looked back up at Jack. "My son talks about Sam all the time, Mr. Lewis," said Ms. Johnson, distractedly bouncing her little girl as the youngest child continued to alternately fuss and reach for things. "Are you here tonight with your wife?"

"Uh, actually I'm divorced as well," Jack admitted. "It's just me and Sam," he added.

The woman's eyebrows rose slightly, but before she could formulate a question, one of the two boys was tugging on her sleeve. "Mom, look, it's Mr. Jeffries. He said he'd have the forms for the soccer team, c'mon Mom, you promised."

The boys began to tug her in the right direction, and Ms. Johnson looked apologetic. "Nice to meet you Mr. Lewis. Nathan!" she called, as she got further away. The little boy looked startled, sniffled loudly, and trotted off after his mother. Jack waved at the departing group in understanding.

"You know Sam," he said, watching the group. "It could have been worse."

"Sir?" she asked. No one paid them any attention, there were many such groups, standing out of the way, and there was too much noise echoing about the crowded gym for anyone to overhear them.

"You could have been a lot younger," he told her, shoving his hands in his pockets and strolling down the next aisle.

Sam groaned, suppressing a shudder as she glanced at Nathan's departing family. His little sister was barely 18 months old if that. "Don't even think it sir," she said firmly, not even wanting to consider the possibility. After all, the machine had regressed her at least six more years than projected, another two or three years could have been easily possible. She really would not have wanted to test the theory about bowel and bladder training being more of a physical exercise of muscle development over a mental exercise of control. And she didn't even want to think about how hard it would have been to reach her lab bench. She had several important things going on she wasn't ready to turn over yet.

Fortunately, Jack let the matter drop, as he approached a table with applications for recess monitor, greeting the staff member there and taking one of the forms. Sam turned to people watching. She spotted a few of her classmates, waving when they saw her. Jack finished the form, and they moved along to another table. Jack took the time to fill out applications for several different things, including classroom mom. Sam grinned at the thought of Jack being the room mother. They also found out there would be a field trip soon to a local produce and dairy farm, and Jack didn't waste any time in signing up to be a chaperone, though Sam groaned over the idea of spending the day traipsing over a farm, complete with petting zoo.

How exciting.

After Jack had filled out all the applications he thought he could manage, and even a few that he found less than desirable at Sam's urging just in case all the other positions were filled, they visited Sam's classroom and Jack got to meet her teacher. After making polite small talk with the teacher, Jack walked around the room with Sam and the two made a show of Sam pointing out to Jack various highlights of the room like her desk and cubby in the coatroom like she noticed another pair in the room doing.

By that time, Sam was worn out. Fortunately, it was a Friday night, and they had nothing pressing to do in the morning. Their weekly check in at the SGC wasn't until the afternoon, and Sam sighed as she settled into the booster seat, no longer concerned as she felt her body relax into sleep. Somehow she knew if she couldn't wake up, Jack would make sure she got to bed.

_A/N: Boy, has Real Life exploded. We lost my Uncle Bill last month, friends found him in his apartment when he failed to answer his phone, he was 70. My mother chose to bury him in a national cemetery with military honors. He had served in the Navy as a national guardsman on a submarine crew iin his younger days. I have never witnessed the flag folding ceremony, and I hope he would have liked it, it was very moving. The soldiers took it so seriously, not showing any emotion, and every gesture was as if the soldier was folding a piece of himself. On top of all that, Dad had lost his job when his company went bankrupt and had only just gotten a new job making far less money._

_Two weeks ago I was involved in a hit and run accident when a man pulled out of a side street, clipped the front corner of my 2001 GMC Jimmy and pushed me into a telephone pole. I was uninjured aside from being shaken and bruised in unusual places, but the Jimmy did not fare as well, taking nearly $11,000 in damages resulting in a total loss. So after dealing with the insurance company, I took my check for $5,500 to the dealership and the money in savings that had been meant for my new solid wood bedroom furniture set and picked up a 2009 GMC Acadia this week, deciding that since I was going to have to finance, I might as well go for something nice, besides, you can't beat 0% APR right?_

_Anyway, as much as I've wanted to see what Sam's been up to, it's been a little hectic, but I just want you to know the story has not been abandoned, and there're a few longer chapters behind this one. In the next few chapters, we should be getting into some more exciting happenings as well, well at least I hope so!_


	24. A Little Cold

_Chapter 24: A Little Cold_

Sam passed tiredly through the nearly empty halls of her school building. Despite having gotten a full night's sleep the previous night, she felt like she'd barely rested at all. Still, she had an errand to perform, and despite her fatigue, she would do nothing to make herself seem less than fit for the job. It was near the end of the third week of school, and somehow, earlier that week, she'd been given the all-important task of taking the attendance rosters to the main office. She wasn't quite sure how she'd landed the position, having been sent to the time out chair more than just about everyone else in the class thus far, despite her best efforts since last Friday. In any case, she wasn't going to question it too much. The job got her out of the classroom, if only for the few minutes it took to walk the records to the office and go back to classroom.

As much as she wanted to take her time, both from her fatigue and from a desire to snoop around, she knew if she didn't come back in a reasonable time it would set off a warning back in the classroom. But it was good to know that she had at least one legit reason to leave the room daily. As an added bonus, Wednesday had found Daniel in the faculty lounge, having a morning cup of coffee before his first class while he brushed up on the day's lesson. Since Daniel taught her class, they were able to exchange a few friendly words without raising suspicions. She still had yet to run into Teal'c during school hours though. She'd found out over the weekend that Teal'c usually canvassed the upper school, and had few responsibilities that could conceivably take him into the lower school. At least it spread the team out over a wider area to cover more ground, though none of them liked being away from one another.

At least Jack had gotten a position as a recess monitor. She would have seen him later today, if he hadn't been going out of town. The joint chiefs had wanted a personal update on the progress of their mission and General Hammond had chosen Jack to go. Ordinarily, Major Carter would also have gone, but the General had decided that the risk of the secret on the nature of her unique transformation getting out was too great and so only Jack would go. Sam would be spending the weekend with Janet and Cassie.

Lost in thought, Sam didn't really pay attention to the footsteps approaching her from an intersecting hallway until a larger body collided with her, sending the papers she carried flying.

"Hey, watch where you're going runt," growled an older boy. From his size, Sam judged he was likely in the fifth grade. While he was only a child, he towered over her at her current size, and his posture told her he was up to no good. What she wouldn't do to have a few good marines from the SGC at the moment, though any adult would do!

Sam frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly, and then wisely decided not to say anything, instead, bending to gather her papers.

"Kindergarten baby, stick your head in gravy," chanted a second boy, coming up behind the first. Sam didn't look up, doing her best to ignore the older boys, having recognized them for what they were. She had started to notice a group of older students that seemed to hang around each other, intent on terrorizing the younger children. They all wore identical badges showing membership in some sort of club, and while teachers would put a stop to anything they were up to if caught in the act, nothing permanent ever seemed to be done about the trouble they were causing. The group was a puzzle, but so far, she had nothing concrete about them to report back to her team besides a few suspicions.

Still, it was only the first few weeks of school, and she'd already noticed that the older children tended to choose their targets well, keeping out of sight from adults or selecting those that would have trouble complaining or identifying them.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" demanded the first boy, unhappy to be ignored. "I said watch where you're going."

"Maybe she's too stupid," said a third voice, this one female. It took all of Sam's willpower to keep ignoring them. Unfortunately, the group didn't like being ignored, and a foot appeared squarely in the center of the last piece of paper she was trying to pick up. "Hey, dummy, why don't you pick up the mess you made?" The other two laughed. Sam rolled her eyes but kept her head down. Honestly, for a school that prided itself on academic performance among other things, some of the students were surprisingly unimaginative. Sam knew if she exerted even the tiniest amount of effort, she could really wind this group's collective tail. And if it hadn't been for an unaccustomed feeling of fatigue and a growing headache, she would have done just that. After all, she was far from defenseless, and the group was completely unprepared for what was underneath her innocent appearing exterior. However, a fight was the last thing she needed, whether it was with words or fists. She took a moment to compose her features before she finally looked up into the face of her antagonist.

The girl had long, straight, dark hair and green eyes that would have been pretty if not for the cruel glint in them. Sam had yet to figure out this group. She'd caught sight of other similar groups in some of the older classes, and they all seemed rather petty, with an inflated view of themselves. She made a mental note to talk to Daniel and Teal'c about them this weekend. For now though, she had to extricate herself before she lost her patience. The last thing she wanted was to lose her modicum of freedom because a few puffed up bullies wanted to have a good time. She mumbled something uncomplimentary as she picked up what she could off the floor. She was really tired today, obviously not as recovered from her recent cold as she thought she was. In addition to a mild headache, an annoying discomfort was starting to grow on the right side of her head, and Sam rubbed absently at the ache. She really wasn't in the mood for bullies. Fortunately, she had an idea that was elegant in its simplicity.

"What did you say?" the girl demanded, having picked up on her mumbling.

Sam gritted her teeth against what she really wanted to say. "I said," she began, pausing, and then leaned around the girl, waving cheerfully. "Hi Mr. Stevens!" she called.

As predicted, the girl looked startled, turning automatically to look down the hall behind her, as did the two boys. Quick as lightning, Sam grabbed up the last papers and darted down the hall towards the office. She'd known the rather uncreative pre teens would fall for that old trick. Still, angry calls followed soon after. Fortunately, the office was right ahead, and Sam slipped in, drawing a deep breath as she leaned against the closed door. The group wouldn't dare follow her inside. Her muscles relaxed, but the headache continued to throb dully, and she rubbed distractedly at her forehead with one hand. Perhaps she should have stayed home from school after all, but it had only been a cold the last two days, and she'd been feeling better yesterday, or at least she'd thought she had been.

"Sam?"

She turned, finding Daniel getting up from the utilitarian armchair he'd been sitting in while reading. The lounge was empty, this time of the morning only those without a homeroom class using the room. Even then, Sam spoke quietly lest someone overhear them. "Just losing a few bullies," she said. She glanced at the door as she heard a few whispers on the other side.

Daniel caught her glance. "Followed?" She nodded. "Well, I've got ten minutes before my class starts, maybe I can walk you back?" he offered.

In only took Sam seconds to decide. After all, no matter what she'd done, she likely would have inflated the group since she refused to cave in to their desire to make the smaller kids cry or do what they want. "I'd like that, thanks. Let me just drop off the attendance sheets." Daniel nodded, and went back to where he'd been sitting to gather his things, while Sam slipped through the door to the office, leaving the papers on the desk. The secretary gave her a distracted thank you.

She and Daniel walked out of the office together. As predicted, the little group was waiting for her, and they looked more than a little disappointed to see that a teacher accompanied her. Sam gave them an innocent smile, even as she recognized one of the boys as one of the two that had been tormenting the two kindergarteners the first week of school. Daniel kept up a steady stream of chatter as they walked toward her classroom, and Sam could feel the eyes of the older students on her as she moved away. She resisted looking back over her shoulder, but somehow she knew this would not be the last time she would deal with this group of troublemakers.

Daniel dropped her off at her classroom, and Sam waved goodbye. She joined her group at their table, for once, relieved to find them engaged in a simple counting activity. Right now, she felt too weary to do anything requiring energy. Frowning, Sam rubbed again at her forehead. In addition to the headache and the pain that seemed to center around her ear and jaw, she ached all over. She was regretting not taking up Jack's offer to stay home but she knew had she done so, someone would have had to stay home with her. With the confusion of Jack leaving, that would have had to been Janet. In that instance, Sam knew there would have been no way of her escaping the professional side of her friend. Sam didn't think she needed to see a doctor for a little cold.

Picking up the pencil and paper that had been left out on her desk while she'd been running her errand though, Sam rethought the wisdom of continuing to "soldier on" with the cold she'd had the last two days despite the risks of Janet getting involved. Honestly, she thought she'd feel better later in the morning. After all, she generally weathered colds pretty quickly. Well, the morning was still young, she thought as she resisted the urge to cough. The headache seemed to be spreading and she rubbed at her ear in response, too distracted to put much heart into her schoolwork. On automatic, Sam followed directions as the first activity was completed and the groups were moved onto another. Fortunately for once, Sam was grateful for the basic nature of the lessons, which meant she didn't have to concentrate very hard on anything she did. She could make it through the rest of the day; she'd done more feeling much worse after all.

Somehow, she kept up the charade even as the class broke for lunch, following her classmates to the cafeteria where she picked at her lunch. Everything was tasteless, and eating required an effort she didn't have the energy to undertake. She glanced at her watch noting with relief that the day was nearly half over as she threw out her mostly uneaten meal and trooped outside with her class, suppressing a shiver despite the warm day. She took a seat under a tree and gave into the chest-rattling cough she felt like she'd been holding in the entire morning. Spent, she leaned back against the tree trunk and sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of the sun on her closed lids. The whistle of the recess monitor startled her, and she realized she'd dozed off. Reluctantly, Sam got up, stretching, and trudged over to where her group was forming.

They filed back to the classroom, ready for quiet time. After a brief pause, Sam followed the group into the coatroom, collecting her thus far unused towel and a sleep mat. Usually, she joined the small group of students doing a "quiet activity," having managed to convince Jack of her preference when he had been filling out the paperwork the first day. She caught Ms. Hans watching her as she chose a spot on the carpet, but couldn't really care about the response. She was just too tried. Conditioned by her many years as a soldier sleeping on the ground or in other less comfortable environments, Sam had little trouble relaxing despite her aches. So little trouble in fact that she was startled to feel someone shaking her awake what felt like only moments later.

In a fog, Sam blinked at Ms. Hans; the woman had a slight worried frown on her face as she looked at her. "Sam? Quiet time is over, it's time to put away your towel," she said. Sam nodded, sitting up with a quiet groan. Ms. Hans steadied her with a hand, and then, frown growing, she touched Sam's forehead, gently brushing her hair back. "You feel warm, I think you may have a fever. Do you feel ok?" she asked.

It took Sam a minute to respond. In actuality, she felt worse, and she shook her head, wincing as she remembered the headache. "I think we should go to the nurse's office," Ms. Hans told her. "Wait right here."

Sam sighed, the sigh turning into another rattling cough. Ms. Hans exchanged a few words with Mrs. Guilford who was getting the rest of the class settled into their activities. Sam frowned as she realized she was the last one left on the carpet from the nap group. She saw Mrs. Guilford look in her direction and nod at something Ms. Hans was saying. The aide rejoined her and offered her a hand, and Sam gratefully placed her hand in the woman's cool one, letting the woman help her stand up. She could probably take a longer nap at the nurse's office she thought, as the two of them walked down the hall, her only thought focused on being able to rest, preferably somewhere horizontal.

The door to the nurse's office was open, and Sam wrinkled her nose at the familiar pungent aroma of antiseptic. She looked up as Ms. Hans greeted the nurse. "Hi Betty, this is Sam. She's not feeling well today and I think she has a fever," she said, and glanced down to give Sam a reassuring smile.

Betty got up, coming around the desk and crouching down in front of her. "Hi Sam. Not feeling so good today hmm?"

Careful not to shake her head this time, Sam answered honestly. "No ma'am," she said softly, unable to avoid glancing at the cot wistfully. Betty smiled, rising and holding out her hand. Sam let go of Ms. Hans' hand and dutifully took the nurse's, letting the woman lead her to the cot. The nurse settled her, and turned to a drawer, pulling out an ear thermometer. Sam obediently turned her head.

"Ow!" she yelped in surprise, jerking away from the probe, one hand going up automatically to cup her ear. Betty blinked, but didn't look too surprised as she murmured soothing words.

"I'm sorry Sam, does your ear hurt?" she said, as she put the ear thermometer back in the drawer, exchanging it for an oral thermometer. Sam nodded carefully, still holding a hand to her ear as Betty slipped a cover over the thermometer. "We can take it this way instead, just open your mouth and put this under your tongue, now there's a big girl," the woman said. Sam could only wrinkle her nose at the comment as Betty turned toward Ms. Hans and exchanged a few words with the waiting aide. The thermometer beeped.

"Hmm, 102.1," Betty murmured. Sam noticed the nurse now held an otoscope. She narrowed her eyes slightly. Noting her look, the nurse gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be very gentle Sam, I just want to take a look in your ear to see why it's hurting." Reluctantly, Sam turned her head and lowered her hand. Betty was very gentle, but it still was sore, and Sam was beginning to get an idea of what was wrong with her even as the nurse made knowing sounds, withdrawing the scope and gently turning Sam's head to check the other ear. "Looks a little red, no wonder you feel sore," Betty said, straightening up and looking at Ms. Hans.

"I'll go get her things," the other woman said.

Sam frowned, trying to grasp where the conversation was going, and still trying to digest the situation. The nurse noted her frown. "It's ok dear, everyone gets sick. You'll feel better in no time. Here," she said, unfolding a blanket from a neat stack. "You just lay down and rest while I call your mother."

Realization dawned, even as Sam lay down on the cot, letting the nurse cover her. "Can't I just rest for a little and go back to class?" she asked, fighting the fatigue. Betty just smiled, unconsciously smoothing back her hair, and Sam closed her eyes reflexively. It had been a long time since someone had done that, and it brought back memories.

"I'm sorry Sam, but you should let a doctor look at you. He'll give you some medicine, and when you feel better, you can come back to school." Betty gave her a reassuring pat, and went to her desk, opening a file drawer. Struggling against fatigue, Sam spoke one more time.

"My mom is in Europe," she said, "and my Dad had to go to Washington D.C. I'm staying with my Aunt." The nurse frowned at her words, but recovered swiftly, nodding as she turned back to the file cabinet.

"Don't worry Sam, you just rest, and I'll make sure you get home." Sam nodded, closing her eyes with a sigh. Dimly she heard the nurse shut the file drawer and dial the phone, the conversation lost as she gave in to sleep.

The soft murmur of voices woke her an unknown length of time later. She recognized the nurse's voice, but the second voice was male, and Sam cracked her eyes open, startled to see a familiar, if unexpected profile. She pushed back the cover, struggling to sit up, "Sir, I thought…" she mumbled as she tried to gain her feet. Turning at her words, General Hammond crossed the short distance to her, gently putting a restraining hand on her shoulder to keep her from standing in the automatic and ingrained gesture of respect for a subordinate to their commanding officer.

"It's ok, Sam," the General said quickly. "Grandpa is here to take you home." Sam's eyes widened. It took her a minute under the General's warm and concerned gaze to realize that Jack hadn't listed Janet as her emergency contact, but had instead put down her "Grandfather." Trust Jack to have a little fun. It would be just their luck to actually need the emergency contact! Under the General's steady gaze, Sam bit her lip against the stream of apologies she wanted to give. Reassured that Sam wouldn't say or do anything else to raise questions, he turned back to the nurse, letting the woman finish her explanation.

"She's all yours," the nurse said. "You'll just need to sign her out at the main office on your way out," the woman said. "Feel better Sam," she added.

Sam nodded as the General expressed his thanks. Sam slid off the cot and frowned as she remembered her bag back in the classroom. Belatedly, she realized that Hammond was already holding it as he waited for her by the door. Sam waved a goodbye to the nurse as she followed the General out of the office. "Sorry sir," she said softly as soon as they were out of earshot.

General Hammond just smiled, slowing his step so she could come alongside. "No worries Major," he told her just as softly. "Don't forget I've done this before. I am after all, really a grandfather," he added.

She blushed, looking down to watch her feet. "Yes sir, but still…"

Hammond shook his head. "I know it wasn't anything you did."

"I should have checked the paperwork though," she protested. Sam was mortified that the General himself had to come pick her up early from school. Jack would have gone out of town just when she managed to pick up some virus. Probably from Nathan and his perpetually runny nose.

General Hammond stopped, forcing her to stop and look up. The hallway was quiet and they were the only ones traversing it. The classrooms lining the way were absorbed in various afternoon activities. The murmur of voices floated out to them. "Sam," he said, the use of her first name indicating he'd set aside military formality. "I really don't mind. Besides, it gave me a chance to take a look around. Now, why don't we say we get you back to base and let Dr. Fraiser take a look at you? She would have come as well if Corporal Hanes hadn't come back from SG-12's mission this morning with a broken arm."

After a moment, Sam nodded. Despite the nap, weariness was starting to descend and she returned the Generals reassuring smile with a sheepish one of her own, following him the rest of the way to the office, where she gravitated to one of the nearby chairs while he spoke with the secretary and took care of the paperwork. She blissfully gave in to the mental fuzz that had been hovering at the edges of her mind. When Hammond returned from the desk, he paused in front of her and offered her his free hand, still holding her backpack and lunch bag in his other hand. She looked up into his face and only saw his care and concern looking back at her. Quietly, she took the proffered hand and let her commander lead her outside the school. He had parked in one of the nearby visitor spaces, and Sam was only mildly surprised to see the familiar SUV parked there. Jack had left the keys for Janet after getting a ride to the airport that morning. Knowing that the booster seat was installed, the doctor had no doubt given the keys to Hammond.

Unlocking the door, the General let go of her hand to allow her to climb inside. Fortunately, Sam was used to the buckles enough now that she was able to fasten herself in even as tired as she was. Tiredly, she leaned back in the seat, and gave up the battle to stay awake.

The cessation of movement and engine noise roused her, but only enough that she was aware of her door being opened. "Major?" Hammond asked.

Sam forced herself to move. "Yes sir," she said, sluggishly moving to release the restraints. After a moment, the General's hands joined hers, and she sighed, letting him do most of the work, too tired to be embarrassed. She was amused in a detached short of way over the General's grumbling as he fumbled with the buckles. Finally, he freed her, only Sam found herself unable to summon the energy to move. "Sorry sir, I just need a minute," she mumbled, concentrating on gathering the will to climb down out of the truck. She felt Hammond regarding her quietly before she felt him move, his hands reaching around her to scoop her up.

"Sir," she protested as he settled her against his shoulder, pushing the door shut with his hip. Her surprise gave her enough energy to push feebly against his hold, squirming in the older man's grasp.

"Nonsense," Hammond told her, tightening his arms as he settled her more securely. Sam sighed, and reluctantly relaxed, unconsciously letting her head rest against the General's shoulder as he carried her into the base. Some looked upon the pair curiously but no one made any comments as they made their way to the infirmary. Sam closed her eyes, shutting them out.

"General?" spoke a familiar voice. Heels clicked towards them, and Sam opened her eyes at the cool touch on her forehead.

"Hey Janet," Sam greeted tiredly as Hammond deposited her on an empty bed. The infirmary was quiet, and Sam saw only one occupied bed, the soldier in it sleeping.

"The school nurse said she had a fever, and what looked like an ear infection," General Hammond explained while he pulled off her shoes and tucked the covers up over her. Sam tried to rouse herself to tell the doctor how she was feeling but was overcome by a coughing fit. Janet laid a hand on her.

"Sounds like a touch of bronchitis as well," she said. "Don't worry sir, I'll take care of her."

"I know she's in good hands, carry on Doctor, and keep me apprised," Hammond replied in clear dismissal, and Sam heard his retreating footsteps.

Sam looked up to see her friend looking down at her, concern overlaid with bemusement. "Sam, you sure know how keep me busy."

"Sorry," Sam apologized, coughing again.

"Easy," Janet said, before getting down to business with an exam. The doctor quickly confirmed the nurse's assessment, confirming that Sam definitely had an ear infection and that her cold was developing into bronchitis. Janet left her bedside only to return a short time later with several bottles. Sam was too tired to protest the elixir medications, and dutifully swallowed the Tylenol and antibiotic, then held still as Janet put some drops in her ear.

"I don't have to stay here do I?" Sam asked, fighting to stay awake. Janet looked thoughtful, and then shook her head.

"No," the petite redhead decided, "though I think it may change our plans a bit this weekend. We should probably just have a quiet weekend in. I don't think Cassie will mind."

Sam sighed, relieved enough about not having to stay in the infirmary to not be too disappointed in the change of plans. They had planned a day at the mall Saturday followed by a movie, and a day the next day at the beach of a local park where they had intended to rent paddleboats and picnic by the water. With Jack out of town, Sam had needed a new temporary guardian, and he and Janet had conspired to keep Sam from locking herself in her lab the entire time. Sam hadn't told either of them that she was more than pleased with the solution. It had been some time since she'd been able to spend time with Janet and Cassie, and had been looking forward to the weekend. With any luck, the meds would kick in while Cassie was in school Friday, and they'd still be able to enjoy each other's company over the weekend.

"Thanks, Janet," Sam told her friend.

Janet smoothed the covers over her. "There's still a few hours left in my shift, why don't you rest and I'll wake you when it's time to go."

Sam nodded, eyes already sliding shut.

_A/N: Well, I meant to have this one out last weekend, but things came up. Here it is now, and I hope the length makes up for it._


	25. Recovering

A/N: Um… Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated?

_Chapter 25: Recovering_

True to word, Janet woke her at the end of her shift. While still nowhere near peak health, Sam felt refreshed enough to lead the way to the SUV. She'd packed a weekend bag the previous night and it was already waiting in the truck from the morning. She let Janet run the conversation, merely inserting appropriate comments from time to time.

Sam was still awake when they pulled up outside of Janet's home, and she drew back a little as she followed Janet up the familiar walk. It would be the first time she and Cassie had seen each other since her transformation, though Sam reminded herself that it hadn't been all that long ago that Cassie had met a slightly older version of her child self.

"Mom?" called an easily recognized voice from the kitchen as Janet entered.

"We're here," Janet announced, giving Sam an encouraging smile.

Cassie appeared in the doorway, drying her hands on a dishtowel. The teen grinned, all but bounding across the room. She knelt in front of her. "Sam?" she asked.

"Hey Cassie," Sam told her, smiling warmly and holding out her hands. Cassie wasted no time in enfolding her in an enthusiastic embrace. Sam groaned softly. While the headache was suppressed since the Tylenol and nap, it was still there. Immediately, Cassie pulled back.

"What's wrong?" the teen asked, suddenly concerned. Janet placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It's ok Cass, Sam's just feeling a little under the weather, she had to come home from school early." Janet explained.

Cassie was suddenly all caring concern, reversing a role that Sam had played for the girl from time to time over the years, quickly seeing Sam settled on the sofa with a blanket wrapped snuggly about her and a plate of food in her lap. She continued to hover throughout the meal, looking worried when Sam barely touched hers, as her brief spurt of energy ran out. Cassie only relaxed slightly when Janet seemed unconcerned and merely suggested they all watch a movie. The teenager took a seat next to Sam, and not long into the show, Sam leaned companionably against the girl. It wasn't all that unusual though it was typically Cassie leaning into Sam.

Fortunately, Sam had seen the movie before, because she fell asleep. Janet shooed a sleepy Cassandra to bed after the movie, and the movement and loss of warmth roused Sam. "Hey sleepy head," Janet greeted, grinning as Sam rubbed her eyes and yawned, the yawn changing to a muffled cough. Janet studied her thoughtfully. "How's the ear?" she asked.

"Still hurts," Sam admitted sleepily, unconsciously rubbing it. Janet smiled ruefully and held out the thermometer. Sam took it and obediently placed it under her tongue, snuggling back down under the blanket as she waited for it to beep.

"Hmm. Still running a slight fever," Janet pronounced, having taken the thermometer and exchanged it for oral syringes of more medication. This time, Sam made a face as she took the doses, sitting up reluctantly from her cozy nest with another yawn.

"Bleck," she stated emphatically, handing back the empty syringes and taking the glass of juice her friend offered sympathetically.

"Sorry Sam," Janet apologized. "It's the only way to get the doses small enough for your size. They just don't make tablets in these doses." Janet tidied up the living room, giving Sam some time to sort herself out, and then held up the little dropper. "I put your bag in the guest room, if you want to go get ready for bed, I can meet you upstairs. You look just about done in."

Sam sighed. "I am. I don't understand it, all I've done is sleep most of the day," she complained, as she pulled herself to her feet, still wrapped in the throw blanket.

Janet smiled in understanding. "Your new body doesn't handle things as easily as your adult body does. You have fewer resources to fight with. On the other hand, you should be feeling better in no time now. Children are more resilient."

"Well, as long as it's soon," Sam grumbled on her way out of the room.

She found her bag as promised, and exchanged her clothing for the now familiar too-large t-shirt. It felt good to brush her teeth, even though it was a stretch to reach the faucet. She'd had to climb up on the closed toilet lid to do so, missing the little step stool she'd come to depend on at the house she stayed in with the Colonel. She met Janet on the way back, and got comfortable on her side in the bed so Janet could put the drops in.

"Goodnight," Janet told her as she stood in the doorway after turning out the lights.

"Night Janet," she replied, a brief smile touching her lips as she noted that Janet hadn't shut the door all the way, leaving it cracked likely in habit as a mother. She snuggled down into the bed and sighed, sorely hoping that Janet was right and that she'd be feeling better very soon.

The next morning, Sam awoke early, slightly confused as to where she was and what had woken her. Soft voices and the rustling of people just waking and getting ready for the day reminded her that she was staying with Janet and Cassie while Jack was in D. C. Pushing back the covers, she got out of bed and stretched. The headache was gone though she still felt slightly fuzzy headed and her ear still ached. She thought about a shower but then decided she wanted to see Cassie off.

She found both Cassie and Janet in the kitchen. Janet was just putting on a pot of coffee and Cassie was just finishing up a bowl of cereal. As predicted, while Janet smiled warmly, Cassie positively glowed at Sam's appearance. "Are you feeling better Sam?" the teen asked.

Sam smiled, running her hand though her no doubt disarrayed hair. Cassie took on a look like someone that had just seen something adorable. Sam covered her discomposure by taking a seat across from the girl and sliding the newspaper Janet had left on the table toward herself. "Well, I don't feel one hundred percent yet, but I do feel better," she admitted. "Actually, I'm a little hungry," she added, looking at the nearly empty cereal bowl in front of Cassie. Looking excited at something to do, Cassie jumped up, dumping her own bowl in the sink then opening cabinets seemingly at random. Janet shared a knowing look with Sam behind her daughter's back. Sam suppressed a smile, hiding her amusement in the paper.

Unaware of the shared glances, Cassie continued to bustle about on her mission. "Do you want some cereal Sam? Or maybe some toast will be better," the teen mused.

"Cereal is fine," said Sam, and then shot a look toward Janet, who was preparing her mug. "And maybe a cup of coffee? Decaf of course." she added hopefully, widening her eyes and trying her best pitiable and pathetic look. After all, everyone seemed to think she looked absolutely adorable now; it had to be good for something, right?

It was not to be. Janet Fraiser apparently had nerves of steel. Sam stifled a sigh as her friend gave her a narrow look while Cassie cheerfully poured cereal, oblivious to the silent contest of wills going on at the table. "Juice," the woman said with authority, rising and suiting words to actions, opening the fridge and removing the juice carton and retrieving a glass on her way back to the table. "You need fluids Sam," she said in explanation.

"Coffee is fluids," Sam argued, knowing the argument was already lost, but feeling it had to be said, logically at least.

Janet ignored her, concentrating on pouring and placing a tall glass of orange juice in front of her, then deftly snagged part of the paper from Sam. Eyeing the large glass of orange juice, Sam sighed quietly, knowing she'd be expected to finish the entire glass, doctor's orders. She wasn't sure if it was a relief to know that this at least had not changed. If she'd been sick or injured in her adult form, Janet likely would have treated her, or anyone else under her care the same way. A slight smile tugged at her lips. Well, there was always Daniel. They'd gotten rather good at smuggling contraband to one another without being caught. Most of the time that is. "Cassie," Janet said as she sat back down, "You need to hurry, or you'll be late for school. Did you remember to feed the dog?" she added.

Cassie rolled her eyes at Sam where Janet couldn't see, sliding the cereal bowl and milk in front of Sam. "Yes, mom," she said. Sam lifted the paper up to hide her face.

Outside, the dog started to bark, followed by the sound of a horn. Cassie looked startled. "Don't worry," Janet said, shaking out her section of the paper, unsurprised. "I'll let the dog in."

"Thanks mom!" Cassie said, giving Janet a quick hug. "Bye!" she called, grabbing her book bag off the kitchen chair and dashing out the door, pausing to call over her shoulder, "Bye Sam!"

"Bye Cass!" Sam said with a grin, the teen's boundless enthusiasm mending her disappointment over Janet's refusal to cave on the coffee..

"Come home straight after school," Janet called.

"Yes mom!" came the response as the car horn sounded again and the front door slammed. Janet chuckled. Outside, Homer kept barking, and Janet stood up with a sigh, moving to open the door.

Sam slid off her chair as Homer charged in and danced around her, not recognizing her in her current state. "Hey mutt," she greeted, and Homer decided he liked this new little person. Sam played with the dog for a few minutes, and then dragged a chair over to the sink so she could wash up. She caught Janet watching her over her section of the newspaper and shrugged helplessly as she hopped down. Homer trotted a few circles around her playfully, but when she didn't make any more moves toward him, he trotted off and started attacking one of his favorite toys in the corner.

"Your meds are on the counter over there," Janet indicated with her head, peering over the top of her paper, "We can do your drops after you've had a chance to eat. The thermometer is over there too." Sam wrinkled her nose, but dutifully collected the pre-filled oral syringes, popping the thermometer in her mouth with a smothered sigh as she headed back to the table, medication in hand.

The thermometer beeped, and Sam pulled it out. "99.8," she announced. Still standing, she quickly swallowed first one, then the other of her medications, making a face and washing them down with the glass of orange juice.

"Good," Janet commented, and Sam heard the newspaper rustling as her friend set it down. "Do you mind coming over here, I'd just like to take a look in your ears to see how the antibiotics are working."

Sam looked dubiously at the otoscope the doctor held, then put her juice glass back on the table, suppressing another sigh and went to stand in between Janet's legs, turning her head so her friend could put the scope to use. She flinched slightly, but noted that the tenderness was less today. "Looks less inflamed, feeling better?" Janet asked, withdrawing the scope, and Sam nodded. "Good, then I think we'll keep things as they are. Let me just take a quick listen to your chest, and you can finish your breakfast."

The impromptu medical exam over, Sam retired to her paper and bowl of cereal, pouring the milk that Cassie had thoughtfully left in reach. After breakfast, Sam helped Janet clear the table, and the two went out to the living room. Janet put in Sam's eardrops, and Sam put on the news while Janet booted up her laptop to work on some reports. Originally, Sam and Cassie would have been at school, and Janet at work. It was more than a little awkward for Sam knowing that she couldn't be away from the SGC on her own. General Hammond had insisted they both take the day off, and Janet had agreed that Sam would rest better at the Fraiser's than in the infirmary, especially since there was no reason to keep Sam there.

The rest of the day was spent unremarkably quietly. Sam watched TV, read some journals she'd packed in her bag, and took a nap in the afternoon. When Cassie came home, they made dinner and watched another movie. Sam took her meds at intervals during the day, and by the end of the day, was beginning to get the timing and dosing down so that she felt that Saturday she could be independent with taking them without Janet prompting. She still needed help putting in the ear drops, but figured she'd much rather ask someone to put them in for her than have Janet tell her it was time to take them like a child.

Despite the restful pace of the day, Sam was still quite spent and more than ready to go to bed before it was barely nine. If Janet found it unusual, she chose not to say anything though Cassie looked a little worried when she glanced at the clock after Sam announced her intention to go to bed. Still, the teen hugged her just as tightly as usual.

Saturday, Sam felt more refreshed, and only the slightest ache lingered in her ear. She coughed experimentally and was pleased to note her chest barely rattled. The house was quiet, and on impulse, she grabbed fresh clothes and headed to the shower. Cassie had a tendency to use up a lot of the hot water if she got to the bathroom first. The cascading water was luxurious, and Sam probably spent longer than necessary under the hot spray. Even still, the house was still silent as she got out and dried off, changing into the fresh clothing. Janet and Cassie were still asleep as she padded down the hall in her socks, and Sam wasted little time climbing onto a chair, then the counter, so she could dig out some coffee. She grinned as she located a bag of decaf grounds behind the regular ones in the cabinet, quashing any guilty feelings in the thrill of her early morning clandestine mission literally under Janet Fraiser's nose. Kneeling on the counter, she reached down a filter, then a mug and leaned over the sink, putting water into the carafe, turning on the pot. She sat down on the counter, waiting eagerly for the coffee to brew.

Janet found her there several minutes later, a steaming mug in hand, and a blissful smile on her face. Her five year old face of innocence must have helped, because Janet didn't say anything and only narrowed her eyes at her friend as she dropped the paper on the table, but Sam saw her eyes take in the package of decaf grounds and shake her head slightly as she opened the fridge, pointedly taking out a carton of orange juice. Janet crossed over to where she sat, and Sam leaned out of the way to give Janet access to the cabinet over her head, watching as Janet pulled out another mug, and two glasses. She poured herself a mug of coffee then two glasses of juice. Sam accepted a glass of juice, and slid down off the counter, collecting her medications on the way to the table. She knew Janet was keeping a watchful eye on her as she drew up the doses, and would say something if she had the amounts wrong. Janet only nodded though when Sam met her gaze, so Sam quickly swallowed the doses, washing them down with a few generous swallows of juice.

Looking up, Sam turned at a shuffling footstep and grinned at the sight of a slightly disheveled Cassie. The teen mumbled a good morning and snagged the juice carton and a glass, plopping into the seat opposite Sam and dug the cartoon section from the paper. Janet and Sam exchanged smiles. Cassie wasn't much of a morning person, especially not on weekends.

"Who wants pancakes?" Janet asked, rising, and opening cabinet doors.

"Sounds good," Sam answered, getting up as well. "Can I help?"

Janet looked down at her, "Are you sure you feel up to it?" she asked.

"I feel a lot better today," Sam told her honestly.

Her friend looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Ok then, can you get the milk and eggs from the fridge while I get the griddle out?"

"Can we have bacon too mom?" Cassie asked, nose buried in the comics, but proving she wasn't completely ignoring the conversation.

"Got it," Sam replied, balancing the package on top of the eggs and closing the door with her hip. She dropped the syrup bottle on the table on the way to the counter, depositing her load, and climbed up to kneel on the chair next to Janet. Her friend casually leaned over her to reach down a bowl and placed it between the two of them, and Sam started to crack eggs.

The kitchen soon filled with the smell of frying bacon and pancakes. Cassie dragged her nose from the comics long enough to reach over Sam to get plates and steal a piece of bacon. Janet swatted at her with the spatula and the teen retreated with a shriek to set the table. Homer added to the chaos by running around in circles and cheerfully trying to trip anyone he thought might be holding bacon until Janet ordered him out into the backyard.

Preparations complete, they settled around the table, and Sam found herself rather hungry, surprised by her sudden increase in appetite. Janet looked pleased by the amount she'd eaten when they cleared the table. After breakfast, Cassie put on cartoons, grinning at Sam's quizzical expression. "Don't you remember Sam?" she asked, "You used to put these on for me when I first came here," she said, and Sam grinned to realize Cassie had put on the old classic Roadrunner and Bugs Bunny cartoons.

"Hey, I think I remember this one," she said.

"What are you two watching," Janet asked, and the two erupted into giggles. Janet rolled her eyes, making them laugh even harder. Leaving them to their own devices, she left, returning a short time later with a short stack of board games and puzzles. The cartoon immediately forgotten, Cassie pounced on the pile with a childish squeal. Caught up in the girl's enthusiasm, Sam shared a grin with Janet, and turned her attention to the selection, offering her own opinion. Janet ducked into the kitchen returning with sodas and snacks for everyone by the time Cassie had narrowed down the choices. They spent the better part of the day watching TV and playing board games and assembling a large 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle only to discover to their dismay that the puzzle appeared to be missing several crucial pieces, and had a few pieces to another puzzle mixed in for good measure.

While Sam hadn't taken a nap after their lunch of sandwiches, she had settled back a few times during the puzzle to watch Cassie and Janet, watching quietly rather than participating. She smiled when she caught Janet watching, or would offer a suggestion or joke that Cassie was trying to force pieces that didn't go if she caught Cassie frowning over her. She felt much better today though, if mildly irritated at times. Still, her friends couldn't help feeling a little concerned. It could have been worse after all; she could have been stuck with Jack. Unable to go out and leave her home alone, he'd have been climbing the walls and getting on her last nerve.

When the subject of dinner came up, they all unanimously decided to order out, since after all their plans had called for a much more active day. A rather energetic debate ensued, but pizza won out two votes to one over Chinese.

Janet and Cassie were in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Without thinking, Sam got up from the couch. "I'll get it," she called, crossing quickly to the door. That was fast, she thought. With a frown, she realized that they hadn't gotten any money out yet, and with a quick decision, Sam decided she'd treat everyone. "Coming!" she called to the shadow behind the window, as she spied her backpack sitting next to the table by the door. Rummaging quickly, she found her little moneybag in the bottom of the bag. Pulling it out, she pulled out the credit card she'd tucked in there a few weeks ago, next to her SGC ID, behind a handful of bills and coins that were more typical of a child her apparent age.

Standing on tiptoe, she unlocked the door. "Here you go," she said, handing the man the card. The man blinked in surprised confusion.

"Hello sweetheart," he said, holding onto the pizzas, "Is your mommy home?" he asked.

Sam frowned. "My aunt is in the kitchen, she said I could get the door," she added.

"Well I need her to sign the paper sweetie, so just be a good girl and go get her now ok?" the man said stubbornly.

Sam sighed, and turned from the door, to find Janet already entering the living room, Cassie on her heels. She met Janet's quizzical expression with a helpless shrug, and Janet seemed to take in the situation immediately. Retrieving her purse, Janet quickly handed the deliveryman a few bills, telling him to keep the change. Taking the pizzas, she shut the door, and leaned against it with a sigh.

Sam put her credit card away with a resigned expression wondering what had possessed her to keep it. She looked up as she heard Cassie giggling and noted Janet also looking amused. "What?" she demanded. She could use a joke.

"I guess he's never seen a five year old use a credit card before," Cassie explained. Sam blinked, and slowly a smile started to spread on her face.

"I bet he'd be even more surprised to see me drive a car," she replied innocently.

"Oh god no," Janet exclaimed. At that, the three of them dissolved into helpless laughter until they could barely stand.

"C'mon, let's eat before that gets cold," Sam said when they'd finally regained some semblance of control.

"Good plan," Janet agreed, straightening.

"Mom, can we go to the mall tomorrow?" Cassie asked on the way to the kitchen.

"Sure, if Sam feels up to it," Janet replied.

"Oh, I think I can manage," Sam agreed. "In fact, I think I feel well enough to drive."

"Oh, _hell_ no," said Janet.

"Just testing."


	26. Field Trip

_A/N: I would like to welcome my newest beta, samfan9. Of course, those mistakes that make it into the story past the eyes of my three betas and myself are completely the fault of my word processing program._

_Chapter 26: Field Trip_

Monday dawned clear and cool. Jack had picked Sam up from the Fraiser's the previous night, and Janet had given them a Doctor's note giving Sam permission to return to school, somewhat to the Major's dismay and Jack's amusement.

"Don't you think I should stay out one more day Janet?" she'd asked, only half in jest.

"You mean you aren't excited about tomorrow's trip to Weber's Farm?" the doctor had asked as she put in another dose of eardrops on Sunday evening while giving Jack a crash course in Sam's med regimen. Sam had just sighed.

Jack had heard about her illness from General Hammond when he'd called to let the man know how the meetings were going. He'd been a little concerned to learn that Sam was sick and had been sent home early from school Thursday, but Hammond had quickly reassured the Colonel that Janet was looking out for her and that she would no doubt soon be on the mend.

Hammond's prediction had proven accurate, Sam felt well enough for an outing she and the Fraisers had planned on Sunday and Janet had no reservations about allowing her back to school even with the planned field trip. Jack was glad about that, he felt it was more than time to get his foot in the door so to speak.

And so, this morning, despite the fact he was going to be chaperoning five year olds on a farm, Jack was in an unusually cheerful mood even as he peppered his reluctant passenger with questions. "Got your permission slip and note from the Doc? Did you pack your meds and put that excuse note from me for the teacher and the one for the nurse in your bag?" he asked, glancing at Sam in the mirror as he guided the SUV along the residential side streets around Providence Day School, joining up with the line of cars outside the horseshoe drive. He'd be dropping her off as usual, returning mid morning with the rest of the chaperones to follow the bus to the farm.

"Yes sir, I packed everything this morning after my doses," she told him, her tone one of long sufferance. Jack suppressed a grin. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she only looked like a kid. Especially when she made faces like a kid while taking liquid medications. She'd unfortunately have to take doses of medications at school, but Janet had foreseen the need and had made up extra bottles for Sam to take to school. While Sam was independent after a day with taking the meds, with the aides and teachers regularly looking through the student's book bags, they didn't want to risk the meds being found, questioned and taken away. So they would just have to go through the "proper" channels, as if she were an ordinary five year old. Still, she didn't have to like it.

The school came into view, and Sam gave Jack her customary farewell as she climbed out, collecting her bag and turning to follow the steady stream of students into the school. "Zip up your jacket!" he called, just to be annoying. She gave him an irritated look, but paused and did as he asked. Jack soon lost sight of her. He turned off the drive onto the street that would take him to the mountain. He had a few hours he could put to use filing his report on his meeting with the Joint Chiefs before he headed back to the school. Paperwork. Oh joy.

By the time he returned to the school, a yellow school bus stood waiting in the drive, engine idling. Jack parked in the visitor parking lot and headed into Sam's classroom. He was surprised to see the familiar face of Ms. Johnson, Nathan's mother, in the back of the classroom. Over the next few minutes, the other chaperones filtered in. Ms. Hans was passing out color-coded nametags with the children's names and school on them and Mrs. Guilford was sorting the students into groups and buddies.

One of the early arriving chaperones passed out packets with directions to the farm, a map of the grounds, and a schedule of activities for the day as well as group assignments and the like. Jack looked over his packet, committing the names in his group to memory and noting that Nathan was also in his group and that he'd be sharing chaperone duty with Ms. Johnson. In fact, each group of six had at least two adults with them.

As soon as it was clear where everyone was supposed to be and whom they were supposed to be with, the class lined up and the chaperones headed for their cars. Sam had been opposed to the need to ride the bus with Jack going in the SUV, but the teachers had explained it was for insurance or legal purposes or some other excuse that quieted Carter but made her no less unhappy about the idea of riding the big yellow cheese wagon. And so, she filed obediently out with the rest of the kids, their class joining the other two kindergarten classes, but she gave Jack a rather longing look as she was tugged and jostled along by the overly excited youngsters eager to be off on their adventure.

Ms. Hans stood at the door to the bus with one of the other teachers, carefully checking nametags one last time and counting heads as the kids got on the bus. Mrs. Guilford had gotten on first, clipboard in hand, assigning seats as the children filtered on board. An older gentleman sitting in the driver's seat smiled at the kids as they got on the bus. It seemed to take ages before the driver closed the door after the last child, and even longer before he signaled that they were ready to depart.

Jack saw that Sam had been assigned a window seat, and he let the bus lead the way out of the school lot. He rolled the windows down, letting the cool autumn breeze and fresh air in. He followed the bus to the open highway until he got tired of the slower speed. As he moved to the left lane and started to accelerate past the bus, he heard the unmistakable sounds of the "Wheels on the Bus" filtering out of the open windows of the school bus in a chorus of fifty odd childish voices. Well minus one perhaps. Gauging his speed, Jack tapped his horn lightly, searching out one particular window. He waved cheerfully and revved the engine, and was rewarded with a very carefully shielded rude gesture. Laughing, he accelerated and sped off around the bus, no doubt setting a very bad example. "Ah well, they won't remember ten years from now anyway," he said.

Mercifully for Sam, the farm was located on the outskirts of town, and they would only have had time for a handful of songs. All the same, Jack was lounging against a picnic table near the ticket booth well before the bus even pulled up, chatting with some of the other parents. Voices filtered out from the stopped vehicle before the door opened and first Ms. Hans and the two other teachers and aides stepped off, then the pairs of students trickled off.

"Remember, hold hands with your buddies, and get in your groups as you get off the bus. Wait with Ms. Hans," repeated Mrs. Guilford to each of her pairs, making sure they had the hands of their assigned "buddy" and were following directions. The other teachers did the same for their students. A few needed corrections, since they were too busy looking around to pay attention.

Once off the bus, the class linked up and the groups joined with their chaperones. Instructions were again reviewed with the class, as much for the children's benefit as it was for the adults. The other classes were doing the same. Finally, the various little groups split up to tour the farm. The whole trip almost fell apart right there when Mike insisted he had to go on a hay ride and Nathan and Bridget both said they wanted to go to the petting zoo. Little Susie looked like she'd cry because she just wanted to get a pumpkin.

Nathan and Mike began to argue, while Ms. Johnson looked on helplessly. Tilting down his sunglasses, Jack observed the growing chaos for a moment and then sighed. Pulling off his shades, he waded in. "Mike, there's no hayrides until after lunch," he said, skillfully inserting himself between the two boys who had started to lean towards each other. "See here," he said, waving his schedule in front of Mike's face, "the first hay ride is at 1:30."

"Aww..." moaned Mike, kicking at the ground.

"We can go after lunch," reasserted Jack. "Now, Susie, if we get a pumpkin, and I bet you want a really big one right?" he asked, turning from the boys to kneel in front of the brown haired little girl. Susie sniffled and nodded. "If we get one, you'd have to carry it around aaaallllll day long. And then maybe you'd forget it somewhere, and we can't have that can we?" Susie's forehead crinkled as she considered this idea, and she solemnly shook her head no.

"Good, then after the hayride, we'll go pick out the biggest, bestest pumpkin we can carry. Good idea right? Deal?" Susie bit her lip, and then nodded.

"So can we go to the petting zoo now?" asked Nathan.

"Ya, sure, you betcha," said Jack. Ms. Johnson looked relieved.

"Do they have horses?" asked Jerry, tugging on Jack's sleeve.

Jack pretended to think about it as he took Susie's hand. "Ok, buddies everyone. We have a petting zoo to see. Hmm. Horses. I would believe so."

"What about cows?" asked Nathan.

Mike gave Nathan a little shove from behind. "Of course they have cows dummy, this is a farm."

"Excuse me, none of that, no pushing," Ms. Johnson said sharply.

"I know what cows say," spoke up Susie, "Cows say Moooo," she said. Some of the children echoed her and others giggled.

"Look, I see it, there's the petting zoo!" exclaimed Bridget, and the other children started to skip or jog, pulling Sam along. Despite herself, Sam laughed at their antics. It was hard not to get drawn in; their good cheer was so contagious. Jack was right at home, picking up kids to reach horses and cows, or stooping down to help admire rabbits and baby chicks, reading aloud interesting information about each animal. He of course took plenty of pictures of Sam's kindergarten fieldtrip, much to the Major's disgust. And he tried not to mind too much when she managed to snag the camera for a bit of turnabout.

Unfortunately, he failed to notice when a particularly enterprising goat leaned over the rail as he was crouched down next to Susie at a nearby pen, looking at the baby rabbits. A growing grin on Sam's face as she snapped a picture, and a few giggles behind him tipped him off just before he felt a breeze on his head.

"What! Hey! Why you little…" Jack hastily bit down on the names he would of preferred to call the goat, which stood munching quietly on his favorite cap, well out of reach and behind the safety of the fence surrounding its pen. Silently, he glared at the offending creature, but the animal only chewed industriously.

Finally, it was time to leave the petting zoo area and meet up with the other groups for lunch. There was only a little grumbling as the two adults watched over the children to make sure they all washed their hands. On the way back the boys got into a contest trying to reach low tree branches until Jack called at them to stop. By then, they were in sight of the picnic area and the rest of their class, and the three boys took off in a race. Jack heard Ms. Johnson sigh. Bridget and Susie with Sam tagging along were too busy chatting to each other about the baby rabbits to notice the antics of the boys.

"Boys," Ms. Johnson said.

"Hard to remember ever having that much energy," Jack commented.

"Try having three of them," she said.

"One was enough," he said without thinking.

Ms. Johnson gave him a sideways look, and Jack realized his mistake, hastily slipping a mask over his features. "One?" the woman asked, not noticing the subtle changes in his facial expression.

Tucking his thumbs in his belt loops Jack frowned. "Charlie. He, uh, died. It's just me and Sam now," he replied vaguely, letting the woman draw her own conclusions.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Lewis, I don't mean to pry," Ms. Johnson apologized.

Jack just shrugged. "Not at all. And please, call me Jack."

"Veronica," Ms. Johnson responded.

By then they'd arrived at the picnic area, and Jack quickly grabbed Mike and Jerry, who were acting the fool by the duck pond, and Veronica retrieved Nathan from another group where he was already helping himself to the other table's food. They got the boys seated at the table with the girls and brought over boxed lunches with sandwiches, potato chips, juice boxes, and farm grown apples. There was homemade ice cream for dessert, which went down rather well.

After lunch, Jack was content to sit with Veronica and let the kids play on a nearby shady playground. The other chaperones joined them along with Ms. Hans and Mrs. Guilford. Jack slipped on his sunglasses, watching Sam on the swings with one of the little girls from another group. She was definitely learning to relax, and he saw nothing that made her stand out from any of the other children. He tried to pay attention to the conversation around him. There was some laughter about how the Yellow group, so named for the color of the children's nametags, had gotten lost in the cornfield maze that morning. That sounded interesting, he'd have to see if he could get his group to try that out.

"Mr. Lewis! Mr. Lewis! Nathan is stuck in a tree!" Jerry and Mike came panting up, pointing helpfully back towards the playground area. Several of the adults stood, and Jack realized that of all the adults there, he was the only male in attendance. Great.

The tree wasn't hard to spot. If there was any doubt, the helpful ring of children at the base of the trunk narrowed down the choice

"Hee-elp! I can't get down!" came the plaintive cry from above as Jack arrived on scene, peering up into the branches. He spotted the boy right away. The child's bright red jacket clearly marked his location in the branches.

Jack removed his sunglasses, and looked up into the branches. "It's ok Nathan, don't move," he ordered the boy in an even, carrying voice. Already, he was surveying the tree. The little boy was a good ten to fifteen or so feet up, but there looked to be plenty of hand and foot holds, and the trunk was thick. All in all, a good climbing tree by Jack's childhood definition. Of course, he'd been considerably smaller back then.

"Nathan, what are you doing up there?" worried Veronica nervously.

"Mike dared him to climb the tree," announced Jerry.

"Tattletale," accused Mike, shoving Jerry.

"Hey!" said Jerry, preparing to shove back, but Mrs. Guilford was there first, as were two of the parents. "That's quite enough. I think you can go sit over on the picnic bench for five minutes Jerry, and you, Mike, can sit there on that tree stump for five minutes. As for the rest of you, find your buddies. Chaperones, if you can get the children out from under the tree. Sam please go with Ms. Johnson, now there's a dear…"

His attention on the situation at hand, Jack gave a grateful look to the teacher for taking control and getting the kids out of the way. Quickly, he took off his jacket and tossed it out of the way, and headed back for the trunk of the tree.

"Please Mr. Lewis, hurry, I'm scared," Nathan, murmured from his perch.

"Oh Nathan," Veronica whispered, gripping Sam's hand where they stood off to the side.

"Just stay put Nathan, I'm coming up now," Jack called to the boy as he located his first hand and foot holds. Soon, he was up in the lower branches and turned so he could get his bearings on where the boy was. Again, he was thankful the child was wearing the bright red jacket.

In moments, he was on the same level. "Ok Nathan, I'm up here. Just keep holding still and I'm going to come up behind you," he said, as he began to inch out from the security of the main branch. Somehow, Nathan had moved out a good way from the trunk before he had looked down and panicked. The branch dipped with Jack's added weight and swayed in the breeze, making Nathan cry out with fear. Below, Veronica called out with concern.

"It's ok, I'm right here," Jack called loud enough for all to hear. He remained still until the swaying steadied, then took a breath and inched forward. "Easy," he said again as the branch creaked. Wordlessly, he offered a quick prayer that the branch would hold. Just a few more inches.

It was agonizing.

He thought about going back, but by now Nathan was terrified and no doubt exhausted. He worried that leaving the boy up here by himself would be riskier than chancing the few inches it would take to grab him and work his way back to the safer center where they could get down. The branch sagged and groaned as Jack shifted, testing his resolve. Almost there. Gritting his teeth, he stretched out a hand.

There.

The branch swayed alarmingly as Jack curled his fingers around Nathan's collar. The boy shrieked, and a second scream echoed from the ground. Jack held onto the child with one hand, pulling him in for all he was worth, while hanging onto the branch for dear life with his other, flattening his body over Nathan's protectively. Unfortunately for them, the branch gave a rather ominous sound and rather frightening lurch. Jack had barely any time to prepare before his stomach gave an odd flip. Suddenly, there was an even louder crack, and he felt the odd, weightless sensation of freefall as the branch finally broke free.

Twisting, he curled protectively around the small child and prayed as branches whipped around him too fast to grab onto to stop his precipitous descent.

_A/N: Dum, dum, dum… I thought we were overdue for a nice juicy cliffhanger. (hides)_


	27. Espresso Moments

_Chapter 27: Espresso Moments_

"Nathan!" Veronica yelled, letting go of Sam's hand to run towards the fallen pair. Sam started to follow when arms enveloped her, preventing her from moving.

"Sam, no," said Ms. Hans, trying to turn her around so she couldn't see what was happening.

"Let me go!" Sam protested, struggling. Adults already surrounded the two fallen as Sam continued to resist futilely against Ms. Hans restraining hold. "Please!" she begged. Unbidden, a tear slipped down her cheek, and Sam brushed it away impatiently.

"Oh Sam," Ms. Hans said, wrapping her in her arms more tightly.

"Mommy!" Sam heard a child crying, recognizing the voice as Nathan's, and she bit her lip.

"Give them some space," she heard an adult say. In vain, Sam tried to see what was going on, but there were too many larger bodies blocking the view.

Then she heard an unmistakable groan, and her hands wound into unconscious fists in Ms. Hans sweater.

"Aggh. I hate trees."

Without realizing it, Sam started to shake. Ms. Hans started to rock her, murmuring into her ear, and Sam pressed her face against the woman's chest, surprised at the wetness on her face. She hated being so helpless. Frustration at her situation battled with her worry. At least he was conscious, but in what state?

Finally, the woman's words sank in. "He's ok," she was saying.

"He is?" Sam asked in surprise, pulling back. Jack had fallen pretty far, and she had been prepared for the worst.

"Yes, you want to go see him?" Ms. Hans asked.

Sam nodded, hastily drying her face on the sleeve of her jacket as the woman stood up. Sam took the automatically proffered hand, and let the teacher lead the way through the group of adults surrounding Jack. She found the Colonel sitting up, looking none the worse for wear aside from some dirt and leaves and a small scratch on his cheek. He studied her for a moment, and Sam swallowed, looking down, unconsciously tightening her hold on Ms. Hans' hand. The woman squeezed back.

"Hey," the Colonel said, reaching out and lifting her chin. "It's ok. I'm ok," he said.

"You sure?" she asked quietly.

"Sure I'm sure." He gave her another look, and then without saying another word, reached out and gathered her close. Sam's surprise quickly melted, and she relaxed into her commanding officer's arms, reveling in his solidity. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, getting a whiff of soap, aftershave, and the strong smell of outdoors, namely, hay, grass, leaves, and horse. Finally, she let go, pulling back, and giving him another closer look.

"Are you really ok?" she asked, wanting to be sure.

"Fit as a fiddle," he replied. "And I'm positive I don't need to get checked out," he said to the hovering cluster. "Now, someone help me up," he asked, holding up his hand. There was no shortage of volunteers, and he was soon on his feet. He groaned, and rubbed at his back. "Should be some interesting bruises," he said to many sympathetic looks.

"Thank you Mr. Lewis," said a subdued Nathan.

"And how are you tiger?" Jack asked the little boy.

"I'm ok. I won't never climb any trees no more," he said in perfect seriousness. He looked at his mother. "Can we go on a hayride now?"

Jack laughed, and tousled the little boy's hair.

There were no further mishaps the rest of the day. Nathan did stay glued to Jack with something akin to hero worship in his eyes. But Jack didn't really mind, Nathan was a cute kid, even if his nose did run.

The attention of his mother was something else entirely though. And while Veronica had been interesting and polite earlier, she became, well, annoying after the tree mishap as Jack called it in his head. And maybe that was because his back was beginning to ache from his hip to his knee, in time with a throbbing in his head, or maybe because she became somewhat clingy, hanging onto his every word.

But most of all it was the way she looked at him. Like someone who has just made a remarkable discovery. Only Jack got the feeling he was the discovery. Usually he'd be flattered. What man wouldn't? But for some reason, when Veronica looked his way, he wanted to run.

Screaming.

Sam was no help. She'd apparently figured things out and would probably tell Daniel, Teal'c, and most definitely Janet. Anytime he looked in her direction hoping for sympathy, she looked entirely too amused. This is what he got for the daycare center. Payback was a bitch.

With a sigh, he got up from the hay bale he'd been sitting on as he saw the woman heading his way. The day couldn't end fast enough. Somehow, he had mostly managed to avoid being alone with Veronica as soon as he realized the woman's intentions. Locating Sam, he pulled her away from the group she was in, where she was pretending interest while a farm worker gave a demonstration on how milk was extracted from cows. The other children were fascinated. Judging by the expression on Sam's face, coupled with the level of probable fatigue and boredom, he didn't think Carter would take much convincing to go along with his budding plan.

"So, Sam," he said softly, "any objection to us bowing out of here early, my back is a little sore…" he trailed off leadingly. Sam's eyes widened in concern, and she took in his words, and quickly compared them with the lines on his face and the stoop of his posture and a knowing look crossed her face. His gut sank, and to top it off, out of the corner of his eye he caught Veronica edging around the outskirts of the group towards him and breathed a soft sigh when Nathan grabbed her hand to ask her something. Belatedly, he realized that Sam had seen what had caught his eye.

Busted.

"Sir," returned Sam, equally quietly, "bad enough to see Janet?" she asked, calling his bluff.

He groaned, and then sighed, staring at the barn wall. He tucked his hands into his pockets and jiggled his keys. "Noooo. But we could go to base. Maybe. For a little while," he suggested, throwing out a bone. He'd rather go home, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Well…" Sam said, considering, pretending to watch the demonstration.

Sensing her wavering, he pounced. "My idea, or the cows Carter," he said.

She thought hard, but only for a moment. "Your idea," she decided.

Inwardly, he rejoiced, but managed to restrain his reaction to a slight bouncing movement, happily jiggling the keys and change in his pocket. "And not a word to Fraiser, or I'm leaving without you," he told her warningly.

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't," she protested in disbelief, tearing her eyes from the demo to look at him.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

Sam gave him a hard look, before conceding defeat. "Ok. You win," she said grudgingly, turning away again.

"Always do," he replied with a smirk.

"That's what you think," Sam muttered quietly.

Jack shot her a look, but decided not to press the issue as he affected an exaggerated limp. Somehow, he managed to maneuver a group of excited children between himself and Veronica when she noticed him leaving and made his way to where the teachers were supposed to be, to let them know their plans. He didn't really expect a problem with his ducking out a tad early, the trip was all but over anyway, with less than an hour to go, and there were more than enough adults to cover for his absence, especially since he was taking Sam with him. Besides, if they protested, he planned to play the injured hero card.

It worked like a charm. Mrs. Guilford clucked sympathetically, and Ms. Hans told Sam she'd see her the next day. He had to work to suppress a grin as he moved with somewhat fabricated care. If he were honest, he was a bit stiff, but he'd been worse. Still, he couldn't help shooting a triumphant look at Sam in the back seat. She returned the smile, and frowned slightly.

"Are you sure you're all right, sir?" she asked, unable to mask her concern.

"A little stiff, but nothing I can't handle. I'm still holding you to our deal," he threatened as he pulled out of the lot. To his relief, Sam glanced out the window as the farm disappeared, and nodded.

It had been almost too easy.

They arrived at base, and Sam bid him a farewell as soon as they'd cleared security, heading to her lab with an eager stride. Jack took himself to his office, for once feeling willing to do some paperwork for a change.

Several hours later, paperwork had lost its appeal, and Jack stood with a groan, the time he'd spent seated having served to stiffen bruised and sore muscles. Rooting quickly through the top drawer, he grabbed the bottle of pain reliever he kept for his knee, and dry-swallowed several tablets with an ease of long practice. Knowing that the stiffness would best be worked out with activity, he wandered out intending to check on Carter, doing his best not to limp for real this time. It was past dinnertime at any rate, and it was even odds if she'd thought to eat or not. He harbored a small hope of convincing her to leave the base with him as well. If she were as tired as he was, he might be able to pry her away from whatever project she'd managed to engross herself in.

Turning the corner to his resident scientist's lab though, Jack's hopes were instantly dashed. Sam was wide-awake, perky even.

"Hello sir," she greeted him cheerfully as he stopped in the doorway. She looked back down at her laptop and frowned slightly, and then hopped… yes hopped, down from her stool before moving across the room and gazing up at a shelf. Before he could process it, she'd swarmed up the shelf like a monkey, grabbed some object and was back down on the ground, regaining her seat at the worktable with little regard for the free-turning seat. "Can I help you with something?" she asked distractedly when he stayed rooted in the doorway, surprised by the energy level his deceptively young officer exhibited.

He frowned. "I just thought I'd see if you wanted to come grab dinner with me. We could find Teal'c maybe…" he trailed off as Sam jumped down from the table again, and bounded onto a wheeled chair in front of a bank of incomprehensible machines with such enthusiasm that she went into an unintentional spin, which she stopped by grabbing the table. She muttered at the machine for a moment, before climbing to her knees to reach some controls. Having accomplished what she'd set out to do, she plopped back down and twirled the chair to face him.

Waving back toward the table, she shook her head. "No thanks, I already ate," she said, and pushed off from the table, the chair gliding effortlessly across the floor towards a bank of file cabinets. With a jaded eye, Jack looked in the direction she'd indicated, and it all became clear as he took in the plastic cup and paper carton of donuts. He took several steps into the room and lifted the lid off the carton to find only two donuts remaining in the package that had likely held a dozen.

"Carter, how many of these did you eat?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

"Hm?" came the distracted reply. He rolled his eyes.

"And coffee too?" he added, lifting and rattling the nearly empty cup, a small amount of coffee colored beverage and ice all that were left in the clear plastic cup.

She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned as she climbed back up to the lab table. "Dr. Harvey brought me the latte, he knew it was my favorite, and I figured it's mostly milk so it should be ok…" she explained, trailing off while doing something to the guts of some artifact or another. Clearly, she was not focused on the conversation.

"And a shot of espresso!" he fired back, starting to lose patience.

At his sharp tone, she looked up, and frowned. "What?" she asked, still patently clueless.

"Carter, do you know how much caffeine…and sugar are in those things? Not to mention how much sugar was in the donuts you ate," he explained.

She paused, and seemed to focus on him for the first time. "I only had two," she said, pausing. "Or three maybe," she said uncertainly. She flushed as comprehension dawned. "Is that why…"

"Uh huh. Feeling a little energetic are we?" he said with only slightly suppressed sarcasm.

"Oh," she replied, seeming to deflate somewhat.

"Yes, oh," he shot back.

Sam shook her head in denial. "I feel fine though, great even."

He rolled his eyes again. "For now. Just remember, what goes up must come down," he told her ominously.

"It can't be all that bad," she muttered, poking at the object in front of her, but he could see her heart was no longer in it.

"Well, I'll tell you that Sara hated those half days before the holidays where they threw parties and stuffed the kids full of cupcakes before sending them home," he told her, wincing in remembrance.

"Isn't there something we can do, maybe Janet could…" she said, "Ah, no," he interrupted. "The doc hates those days just as much as Sara did. Nothing to do but wait it out until it wears off. We should probably head home where you can wind down in peace."

She frowned; looking over the various projects arrayed on the table and about the lab, and sighed at the news of the lack of an easy cure. She seemed to be weighing her choices. "I don't know, I really feel fine now, sir. I doubt I could relax, and I have a _lot_ to catch up on. I should probably take advantage of this. " She sent him a little smile, and then hopped down from the stool to swarm the bookshelf again. Jack stared after her for a few minutes, but she was already absorbed in her project and the things she needed.

Shaking his head slightly and unable to see the advantage of the situation, he echoed her sigh. He could order her to come home with him, but somehow, he doubted that he wanted to be alone with the Major when the sugar and caffeine high wore off, especially if she accompanied him unwillingly. "Suit yourself," he said as he turned and left. It was going to be a late night if he were any judge. "Don't forget it's a school night," he called over his shoulder as a parting shot.

"I won't," she said, but she had already turned away. She'd have to find out the limitations of her changed body the hard way.

* * *

Looking up, Sam blinked at the view of the doorway she had around the table legs. "Daniel," she greeted, a smile blooming across her face.

Daniel squinted back at her, absently adjusting his glasses as he tried to locate her. Giving up, he turned toward her voice. "Sam, hey, I was on my way out but saw the light on. What are you still doing here?" he asked. "It's ten thirty."

Pausing in the act of rifling through a low file cabinet drawer, Sam straightened, startled. Then she rose on tiptoes to peer over the top of the table for an unobstructed view of her teammate, framed in the doorway. Daniel blinked owlishly at her. She frowned slightly, running a hand through her hair and rumpling it before stooping back to her task. "Wow," she exclaimed, the words slightly muffled by the furniture. "I didn't know it was that late. I'm not tired at all. Ah, there it is!" she crowed triumphantly, extracting the object and easily climbing up to kneel on the stool, even with her prize clutched in one hand.

Joining her on the other side of the table, Daniel peered at her closely as she bent to her task, attaching thin colored wires from some small shiny black rectangular object to various bits of something that might have been circuitry about the size of a keyboard, only it looked like nothing found on Earth. "Sam?" he asked, "You seem… different… somehow."

"Hm?" she mumbled, attaching another bit of wire, and then looked up, meeting her friend's concerned gaze. "Oh, I forgot about how much caffeine is in a latte. I mean, it's mostly milk right? I might have had some donuts too." She shrugged it off, bending to poke about with another wire.

"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, sleeping?" he asked, obviously remembering how often she'd fallen asleep much earlier in the recent weeks since her transformation.

Sam paused, and looked up, but a beep from her laptop distracted her. She dropped the wire she was holding and spun the chair towards the screen, quickly tapping a few keys. "Oh, hey! My program is done. This is great!" she enthused. "Daniel, you would not believe what I've managed to get done tonight."

"Yes, but don't you have to be up early in the morning?" he pointed out patiently.

She shrugged again, only paying partial attention, the rest focused on the computer. "Yeah, I guess. It's just I seem to be a little more sensitive to stuff like caffeine and sugar now, I just didn't realize how sensitive. But the way I see it, there's no way I could sleep, so I might as well be useful. There. I need to go to the control room, and install this program into the dialing computer. I've been meaning to do this fix for ages now," she explained, as she closed the laptop, and hopped down, sending the seat spinning. She stopped halfway to door, aware Daniel hadn't moved. Turning, the big laptop cradled carefully in her small arms, she looked quizzically up at the man. "Wanna come with?" she asked, overly cheerful.

Immediately, Daniel smothered a yawn, shaking his head ruefully. "You may feel like you can go all night, but I sure don't. I'm heading out."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Well, I sure hope I'm not pulling an all-nighter, but it's not like I haven't done it before. And on a school night too!" she said with uncharacteristic flippantness.

Daniel just shook his head. "Good night Sam," he said pointedly. "And take it easy, hey?"

Sam just grinned. "I will. Night Daniel," she bid, and scampered off down the hall.

* * *

Stifling a yawn, Jack turned into the control room. He'd caught up with Teal'c earlier, but even the stalwart warrior had conceded fatigue several hours ago, leaving him alone. It was almost eleven, and with Carter's lab empty, it was the second most likely place to find his errant Major. Sure enough, a slightly high-pitched voice came to his ears as he entered the room overlooking the stargate, and he quickly picked out the small blond head. She was kneeling on a chair, pointing to a screen. Harriman and another technician leaned in from either side, following what she said with rapt attention. Jack wasn't sure since the lights were dim, but he thought the men looked slightly awed.

At her words, one of them men practically leapt up, going to a nearby terminal to enter a series of commands, as if he were worried what would happen if moved too slowly. The other engaged her attention with questions, and Sam replied, hands waving vigorously to illustrate some point. Covertly, the other technicians and airmen in the room watched the scene with sideways glances, some looking amused, others seemingly daunted by the display.

"The Major seems rather energetic tonight, doesn't she," came a mild voice from behind him and to his left. Jack spun, spotting General Hammond leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the activity in the control room.

Jack ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. "Yes, sir, that she is."

The older man speared him with a searching look, and Jack met his gaze coolly. "Isn't it a school night?" Hammond asked, pointedly looking at his watch.

Sighing again, Jack broke the gaze, and looked at the Major. She didn't seem the least bit tired. "When I see Dr. Harvey again, he'd better be surrounded by the rest of SG-14." He shook his head. Sensing the General's curious look, he explained, not taking his eyes off Carter. She was typing furiously, chattering away all the time. "He brought her an iced latte and donuts," he explained ruefully.

"Ah," said Hammond, the sound somehow conveying volumes. He watched the scene silently for several moments. "A shame we can't bottle this somehow."

One corner of Jack's mouth turned up as he too watched. "Yeah," he agreed. "She's gonna crash though."

"Hard, if I'm any judge of things," speculated the General. Jack could only nod. He began to sidle towards the door.

"Well, I should get back to…" he started, gesturing vaguely in the direction of his office.

"Not so fast Colonel," said Hammond, and he pointed toward an empty chair, his meaning clear.

Jack didn't move. "But sir," he protested.

Hammond shook his head. "You broke it, you can stay and watch the fallout," he said.

At that, Jack frowned. "Sir, I didn't give her the latte or the donuts."

Glancing sideways at the younger man, Hammond froze any further complaints. "She was your responsibility son."

"Uh, well, when you put it that way sir," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose, and desperately trying to think of a way out of it. He'd actually planned on being as far away as possible before Carter finally hit the irritable stage.

"Sit," ordered the General, gesturing again at the chair. Jack sat.

It took about another hour. The clues were subtle first. She fidgeted constantly. She grumbled at the program, complained about the speed of the computer. Nonexistent things irritated her. Eventually, nothing seemed to satisfy her. Her voice went up a notch in pitch as she delivered a monolog of complaint about some minor hitch in the proceedings to her captive audience, occasionally punctuated by enormous yawns. Jack thought fleetingly of suggesting they leave, but a shred of self-preservation held him back. She was teetering on the edge, and they could all sense it, coiled like a spring. The least provocation could make her snap.

And then suddenly, it was like a light was switched off. She had been typing at the computer, using slightly more force than necessary, when it seemed like she could suddenly no longer hold her head up, her voice trailing off into an intelligible mumble before falling silent. Hands still splayed across the keys, she slumped in the chair, small body leaning against the armrest. A surprised hush fell over the room; every eye trained on the Major, as if they felt some ill-advised sound might wake her.

"Gentlemen, I believe that is our cue," spoke Hammond softly, coming to life. He waved to an airman standing by the door. "Airman Jeffries, if you'd be so kind as to assist Major Carter out?"

Jeffries swallowed before visibly steeling himself and snapping off a crisp affirmative. Jack had to bite back a sympathetic grimace. He recognized the young man from a recent multi-team op SG-1 had gone on not long ago, and had been impressed enough with the man to recommend his assignment to an SG team as soon as a position opened up. Face down raging Jaffa under heavy fire, not a problem. Risk waking a small Major-turned five year old only just fallen asleep after the irritable phase of a sugar high, and even the most hardened marine would have second thoughts.

Airman Jeffries moved with all the skill of someone trained in stealth. Still, the young Major sighed and stirred as he settled her against his chest, making everyone in the room freeze and hold their collective breath. But she only relaxed deeper into sleep, snuggling down in his arms, and they all released the unconscious breath.

Wasting little time, Jack gestured for Jeffries to follow. "General," he said, tipping his head toward Hammond. The older man's lips twisted slightly in an amused look, and he returned Jack's farewell in a nod of dismissal.

As he headed topside, Jack glanced at the tiny sleeping figure in Jeffries' arms and suppressed a mighty yawn. Somehow he doubted that a certain small someone would be awake in time for school in a few hours.

_A/N: Hope that was enjoyable (and not all that long of a wait!). Just a note about the next chapter, it contains a warning for violence, abuse/torture, and the attempted sexual abuse of a child. Please heed the warnings, which have been updated on the story description._


	28. Conspiracies

_Chapter 28: Conspiracies_

_Warning: This chapter contains violence, abuse/torture, and the attempted sexual abuse of a child._

"Daniel, I'm just going to use the ladies before Teal'c gets here," Sam announced, getting up from her chair in Daniel's office. Daniel had picked her up from her classroom after school, and brought her downstairs to his basement office. Teal'c was stopping by as soon as his duties permitted, and they were going to meet under the guise of Daniel giving Sam extra lessons in French, and Teal'c would behave as if he were merely cleaning if anyone stopped by, though Daniel had assured them both that the lower halls were seldom frequented. Most of the teachers had offices in the newer buildings, but Daniel's lowly status as a resource teacher, as well as one of the newest, relegated him to one of the very old offices in the lower level. Daniel didn't seem to mind, as used to as he was in working below the surface of Cheyenne Mountain.

"What? Oh." Daniel blinked and looked up from the papers he was grading, squinting at her slightly. "You know the way?" She nodded, and he relaxed. "Ok, I'll be here," he waved at the pile of papers and books on his desk. Sam grinned, and slipped out, thinking how much Daniel's new office reminded her of his usual one at the SGC. Already, the small office was crammed with papers and texts, and even a small assortment of statues and art objects in lieu of artifacts.

Sam stifled a huge yawn with only partial success as she headed down the hall. The day seemed to have dragged on more so than usual. She knew that she was the only one to blame though; after all, she was the one that had consumed the donuts and latte the previous night. She should have recalled that while a latte was mostly milk, there was plenty of caffeine in the drink. There had been no excuse but distraction for eating the donuts. As such, she'd spent half the night with that unusual surge of energy, and a good part following that feeling jittery and irritable like she never had before. If she had been thinking clearly, she should have called it quits and had the Colonel take her home, to spend the evening winding down. But she'd remembered the time after the Dairy Queen though, when she'd let Jack talk her into ice cream after the first half day of school. Jack had nearly gotten on her last nerve about that stupid award that day, and she had decided to funnel the energy into work instead rather than spend the evening at home with little to occupy her mind.

She didn't remember ever being so affected by caffeine before. Everything had seemed sharper, and she felt like she could go all night. At least at first. She had vague recollections of things becoming less wonderful, and then she'd woken in her own bed with no memory of how she'd gotten there.

It was a minor miracle that she'd woken at all, her alarm buzzing insistently, perhaps the first time in her child state that she'd had to rely on something other than her internal time clock. She'd had to wake Jack. They'd rushed out that morning, barely making it in time for the last bell.

It was all she could do to focus on the tasks at hand that morning. Her head ached, and felt fuzzy even after her hurried breakfast of a cereal bar on the way to school. She was tired from lack of sleep, and her body seemed to respond with unusual sluggishness to even simple commands. She caught herself nodding off several times in the first hour. To her chagrin, she'd fallen asleep during class anyway. Gym class.

Sam still wondered how she'd managed that feat. The class had been playing dodge ball, a rather noisy undertaking, and her fatigue had caused her to be one of the first to get out, despite her normal agility. Sitting on the sideline, she could only think that it was her soldier's ability to sleep anytime, anywhere that allowed her to doze off despite the noise level.

Luck had been on her side, if one could call it that. Before the teacher could notice her sleeping, a wildly thrown ball rudely awakened her as it connected with her head. While the ball had not stuck her very hard, having bounced first, the teacher had been concerned enough to send her to the nurse's office, where she'd been able to take a nap after convincing the woman she was ok.

The nap however had been hours ago, and as much as she'd have loved to go home, today was the first after school lesson with Daniel. Teal'c hoped to stop by in his guise as janitor, and Sam missed regular visits with her teammates more than enough to soldier on a little longer.

The lower hallways were quiet and empty, and it seemed to her that there were fewer lights as well. Her footsteps echoed softly down the corridor. The bathroom was a bit out of the way, but she had no trouble finding it.

On the way back, soft voices intruded upon her thoughts, and Sam slowed, listening. An open door ahead beckoned, and she approached, something making her cautious.

"…No one comes down here, not this time of afternoon. And Curtis made sure the camera doesn't work. We'll be perfectly safe," said a young, vaguely familiar female voice.

"I don't know…" answered another voice, this one male.

"Relax," said the female voice. "Besides, Curtis will be here soon, and he'll have news from the Mistress. It's worth the risk," dismissed the female voice.

Flattening herself against the wall, Sam edged up to the doorway, risking a careful peek. The backs of three heads greeted her, and Sam frowned. Something about the three youths was familiar. Just then, the girl turned slightly, flicking her hair long, dark hair back, and Sam ducked back around the edge of the door. The glimpse had been more than enough to confirm her suspicions. The three were the ones that had given her a hard time outside of the principal's office that time she'd been delivering attendance records. Taking a slow, quiet breath, Sam willed her heart to slow.

Here, finally, was the evidence she had been looking for. That is, if this "Mistress" of theirs was Seshat. She had her suspicions, but without concrete proof, there had been little she and SG-1 could do. After the encounter in the hallway, she'd quietly asked Daniel to find out what the badges the students had been wearing signified, but he'd gotten vague responses from the staff he'd questioned. Seemed no one was particularly clear whom the students looked to for guidance in their little group, and he'd gotten mixed answers, which had only heightened her interest.

Even without the prior encounter though, the hushed whispers and clandestine location were enough to raise Sam's curiosity. Had she not confirmed the group's identity, she may have listened in anyway, especially after that tantalizing phrase. After all, it made perfect sense, now that she thought about it, for Seshat to have contacts in all levels of the school, including the students. It was the usual Goa'uld MO to take advantage of the locals in order to run things from afar. Find those useful persons that could be influenced, or intimidated, set up the power structure, and step back to let the underlings take care of the day-to-day affairs.

Carefully, she edged back to the door, and turned her head, listening with all she was worth. With her prior suspicions and her curiosity piqued at the secret meeting, the conversation she had stumbled upon might just hold the key to the information SG-1 was looking for, and Sam needed little incentive to continue listening in. If the group could just confirm her belief that their Mistress was Seshat, and even better, give some indication to when and where the next meeting would be…

"…I don't know Aiden, you might not be cut out for this," hissed the female voice.

Sam missed the words of reply, but from the boy's tone, he was reassuring that he was indeed, meant to be a part of the group.

"That's good. We must have only the best. Our Mistress demands…" the voice trailed off as the girl's voice lowered, and Sam strained to hear.

Suddenly, a hand clapped over her mouth, and arm wrapped around her chest as someone taller and stronger lifted her easily, carrying her into the room. "Seems I caught a little spy," announced the older boy holding her. "Who was lookout?" he demanded, "Agh!" he yelled.

Twisting and thrashing, Sam followed the kick she'd just delivered to the boy's knee with an elbow to his gut. A finger slipped into her mouth and she wasted no time biting it. Even as he cried out though, the young man proved he was made of sterner stuff. Wasting no time, he slammed her onto a table, dislodging her bite as he called for help from the others.

Sam caught a glimpse of the three middle school students heading her way, and gathered breath for a loud yell. Daniel wasn't that far away, if she yelled loud enough… A vicious blow to her kidney drove the breath from her. Blinking away tears, Sam caught a glimpse of a sandy haired boy, about 15 or 16 years old. Tall and wiry, the boy had a grip on her arm, which he'd twisted up behind her, and was using his frame to pin her down. He was gesturing for something on another table, and Sam fought harder as she realized it was a roll of duct tape.

Unfortunately, she was no match for the four older children, and they soon had her secured, hands behind her back, feet taped together, and a thick piece across her mouth. The oldest boy flipped her onto her back and hauled her fully only the table, heedless of the objects that scattered or pressed into her back. Angry blue eyes regarded her, as the boy stood panting. "Aiden, get the door and stand watch," he ordered, not taking his eyes off her.

The younger boy looked them over, frowning slightly, and then did as he was told, slipping out the door and shutting it behind him.

"Curtis?" asked the other boy, watching them. Curtis had taken a step back, out of range of her kick, and circled the table, looking down at her with an eager glint in his eye that Sam didn't like. Casually, he lifted his hand to his lips, and Sam was pleased to note there was blood.

"She hurt me. And she was listening to a private conversation," the boy said, still circling the table.

"We should teach her not to listen to things she shouldn't be," said the girl, exchanging a look with Curtis, and the boy treated her with a smile.

"An excellent plan Laney, I think we should do just that."

The other boy looked worried. "She's just a kid," he said, shaking his head.

Curtis glared at him. "Are you with us, or against us Dustin?" he demanded. The younger boy gulped, backing up a step.

"With you," Dustin said, looking away. Curtis smiled again, sending a chill down Sam's spine.

"Look what I found," Laney crowed. Sam craned her neck to spot the girl by a drawer, holding up a pair of pliers. She squirmed, but a hand held her in place. In her distraction, Curtis had approached. Holding out his other hand, Curtis accepted the tool, gesturing for the other two to come closer. A look of eager anticipation lit his young face.

"Hold her," he ordered. Laney immediately grabbed Sam's shoulders, pushing them down onto the table. Sam bucked as Dustin hesitated, trying to find the leverage to break Laney's hold and get away from the group despite her bindings. "Hold her, I said," Curtis growled, "I don't want to get kicked again." Under the older boy's scrutiny, Dustin hurried forward, grabbing her legs and pulling them straight. Sam grunted, and twisted against her bonds and the hands restraining her. In vain, she tried to reach her watch, but the tape had been tightly placed over her wrists, covering the device. Arching her back, she tried to twist her fingers to press the buttons under the tape, but couldn't reach them. In frustration, she sagged, panting from exertion. For the moment, she gave up thoughts of overpowering her captors. She was just too outmatched.

Curtis watched her struggle, a slight sneer on his face, his eyes taking in every movement with a calculating look. Sam couldn't help but note that the boy was handsome, at least in an unfinished kind of way. The curves of his features had not yet settled into the defined lines of maturity. His face was smooth and unblemished, hinting at a surprising predator like intelligence, and a level of intellect that surpassed the youth's age. A shock of dirty blond hair hung onto the boy's forehead, and his eyes were an unusual shade of blue, almost gray. Yes, one day, he'd definitely be handsome, and likely already had the girls following his every word. That is if something in his eyes didn't make her want to vomit.

The boy had grabbed a handful of her t-shirt when she'd gone limp, yanking it up to expose her abdomen. "You shouldn't have been listening at the door. Now I have to punish you," he said, as he lowered the pliers towards the exposed skin. She tried to jerk away, but had nowhere to go. A sickening smile spread across the boy's face as he squeezed the handles, and his eyes were filled with pleasure at her involuntary whimper. He released the grip, but gave her little time before he lowered them again.

Sam bucked at the new contact, but Curtis forced her flat with a hand to her chest, his eyes never leaving her face as he applied his chosen instrument of torment. "You shouldn't have struggled," he said, releasing the pliers and catching another fold of skin. Sam grunted behind the tape, jerking unwillingly.

His eyes gleamed at her reactions. "You shouldn't have bit me," he said, this time, twisting the pliers savagely. In vain, Sam tried to get away, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked contemplatively, delivering a new pinch. He frowned when she only grunted. This time, he gave her an even more vicious twist, making her cry out, the sound muffled on the gag.

"Curtis," spoke Dustin hesitantly.

"Shut up, I'm giving a lesson," Curtis said, his gaze still intent on Sam. His casual delivery of the words told Sam that this sort of lesson wasn't all that uncommon.

"But Curtis," the other boy tried again. The fear in the boy's voice gave Sam a small hope that she might have an ally.

"He said shut up, unless you want to be next." Laney's words just as quickly dashed the hope. The girl's fingers dug painfully into Sam's shoulders. If Dustin were her ally, Laney was on board with Curtis. Dustin quieted, and Curtis smiled again, fully in charge and reveling in it.

"I asked," he repeated, "do you want me to stop?" Sam hesitated; earning another twisting pinch from the pliers. Logically, she argued, by refusing to give in she was only prolonging the pain. They weren't asking any questions, so she had nothing to protect from them. Compliance might present an unexpected opportunity for escape. On the other hand, if she resisted, she only had to hold out long enough for either Daniel or Teal'c to notice her absence.

Finally, after another brutal twist from the pliers that made her moan through clenched teeth, she reluctantly nodded, feeling like she was surrendering something of herself in doing so, but knowing that if they assumed she was cooperating they might be more likely to drop the information she was looking for, as well as relax their guard enough that she might be able to get away somehow. Information was why she was here, even if they didn't know that. The intelligence that they might unwittingly provide could be the very lead this mission needed.

Curtis was pleased by her response, and didn't seem to notice any of her inner debate. He wasn't finished though, and he pressed the pliers against her belly again, leaning down next to her face, nearly driving any other thoughts out of her mind. "If you tell anyone, I'll find you," he said, hissing into her ear as he squeezed the handles shut, twisting slowly. "Don't. Tell. Anyone. Understand?" he ground out, emphasizing each word with a twist or jerk. Tears spilled freely down her face and her nose was running too, making it difficult to breathe, and Sam jerked her head in a reluctant nod. The pressure on her stomach was released. Curtis twirled the pliers in one hand, giving a triumphant look to his fellows.

"I don't believe her, look at her eyes," spoke Laney suddenly, digging her fingers painfully into Sam's shoulders. As Curtis returned his gaze to her, Sam got a sinking sensation in her gut that was nothing to do with the fiery pain from the bruising she'd received. Fear motivated her, giving her strength. Yanking her legs out of Dustin's loosened grip, she twisted, and drove both feet squarely into Curtis's abdomen. Using surprise to her advantage, she reared up out of Laney's hold, driving her head backwards, connecting with the girl's face. Ignoring the pain at the back of her head, and giving Laney no time to recover, she squirmed off the table, landing on her feet. The tape securing her ankles held, but she remained upright and began to hop towards the door, trying to put as much distance between herself and her captors as possible. She'd only made it a few feet though when something hard slammed into her back, knocking her to the floor. Unable to break her fall or even see her attacker, she barked her chin painfully on the cement floor, jarring her teeth and driving the breath from her lungs.

Before she could recover, Curtis was hauling her up and slamming her back down on the table. Looming over her, he stood panting, the anger in the youth's eyes shocking her with its intensity. "I think you're right Laney. She hasn't learned her lesson yet. I think it's time we have a little fun."

He gave a jerk of his head, and the other two took hold of her, despite Sam's renewed struggling. Picking up the pliers in one hand, Curtis laid his other hand over her stomach, and then smiled, letting his fingers drift downward. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead as understanding gripped her. Curtis only smiled wider as he unbuttoned her jeans, and pulled down the zipper, his fingers lingering over the waistband of her panties, caressing her skin, and making her tremble.

"I don't know if we should do this Curtis," said Dustin worriedly.

Never taking his eyes off his victim, Curtis slipped two fingers inside her underwear, and pinched the thin cotton, pulling it away from her body. A shiver that had little to do with the new draft of air sent a chill down her spine. "She talks, and it's all over," he said, fingering the waistband and watching her face as he gave the material a little tug downward. "All the special treatment, all the rewards. Mistress Seshat has given us free reign, but not if we get caught," he said, glaring at the other two. "Only the stupid get caught, and the stupid are of no use to one like Mistress Seshat," he added. For a moment, his face grew dreamy. "She has shown me so much. When I am with her… she makes me feel alive," he paused, shaking his head slightly. "I am her tool. Hers to use, hers to punish. She is mine and I am hers."

Frozen, for the moment, Sam stared at Curtis, forgetting her own very real danger. Horror and revulsion warred for control at his revelations. This boy likely had not been an innocent when Seshat had found him, but it was a sure thing that her interventions had only made him worse, much worse. Still, in some small way, he might almost be considered a victim too.

Curtis gave her clothing a yank though, dragging her back to the present. "I can't lose my place, so I'm just going to show this little runt what will happen if she squeals. Because I'll be waiting, and watching. I have eyes everywhere little one," he crooned, almost lovingly, leaning down. "I'll find out where you live. You'll not be able to hide from me. And then, when you and I are alone," he whispered, his hand slowly drawing downward, exposing her and forcing her thighs apart with enough pressure to bruise, the other hand holding the pliers moving into her field of vision.

Her struggles had no effect, and in fact, only seemed to please the boy as well as aiding in his effort to disrobe her. He watched her squirm against his hand ineffectually, a sick smile on his face until she slumped, trying to catch her breath, her attempts to break free hampered by her inability to draw enough air through her clogged nose and taped mouth. Realization grew that this was no normal adolescent. In mounting revulsion, Sam realized that she was at the mercy of a future psychopath. The other two were either cowed in their fear of the older boy, or as Sam suspected in Laney's case by the encouraging murmurs, envious of the boy's power and of a like mind. Trust Seshat to find and cultivate one such as this boy.

Mesmerized, despite her fear and the anticipation of imminent pain, Sam couldn't tear her eyes away from Curtis's. Her insight into the older boy's mind caused a cold dread to settle in her gut. The metal in the boy's hand glinted as he lowered it slowly, drawing out her trepidation, and Sam could only watch in a detached sort of way, disbelieving that this was really happening to her. Perversely, some tiny part of her was glad that she was who she was, that she'd be able to spare some real child this pain.

Unwilling to surrender despite her vulnerability, she looked up into the cold, calculating blue eyes above her, and mustered every last bit of defiance. She imagined what she would do if she were only free and her normal size. Something of her thoughts must have shown in her eyes, because inches away from the more sensitive areas of her body, the metal tool paused, and Sam saw Curtis' face subtly change. The carefully controlled features shifted, and she read confusion and surprise in the young face regarding her.

And then, abruptly, the spell was shattered. The door crashed open and Aiden appeared. Letting go of her, Curtis spun, diverted. "Aiden!" he growled, advancing toward the other boy, and holding up the pliers threateningly.

"Someone's coming!" the younger boy cried. Curtis paused, straightening hurriedly, raking the room with his glance.

"The locker, put her in the locker," he ordered brusquely, slamming the pliers on the table by her head and making her jump. The three younger students leapt to obey, dragging her off the table and across the room. Sam struggled, but at least one of them had her legs, and there was little she could do while still bound and gagged. She still fought and twisted though, until her head connected solidly with a hard surface when someone lost their grip, and dazed, she could offer little further resistance as she was dragged back up and pushed into a small space, her shoulders scraping a metal frame, as she was crammed into the confined area. Suddenly, a body blocked the light, and Sam was forced to look up into the oldest boy's face when he grabbed her hair to tilt her head back.

"Don't think I'll forget about you. You tell anyone, and I mean anyone about us, and you'll be sorry. If you thought today was bad, I'll show you worse. I'll find you no matter where you hide." With that threat hanging, he slammed the metal door shut, and Sam was left alone in darkness, unknown objects pressing against her sides and back. The small space immediately grew warm and stuffy, and Sam could almost imagine the darkness weighing down on her chest. Footsteps receded from the room, the door closing behind them. In the hall, a familiar adult voice berated the students for running in the halls. Daniel! Sam tried to cry out to him, but the sound was sadly muted. She pressed against the door with a muffled thump, losing her balance. In frustration, Sam heard the footsteps disappear down the hall, unable to make enough noise to draw attention to herself.

Stifling rising panic that the group would come back before someone else found her, Sam assessed her situation, and tried to take stock of her environment. It wasn't completely dark. Narrow slits admitted thin beams of weak light, sending dust motes, but nothing of use, dancing in front of her eyes. Something that felt like heavy canvas hung at the back of the locker, and a hard object pressed into her side. Squirming, she tried to bring her hands around, to see if there were any protuberance she might use to get the tape off her wrists, and the watch that would alert the rest of SG-1 to her predicament. She ignored the fact that her pants were slipping down as she tried to explore the area she could reach behind her with her bound hands.

While she was twisting, something poked the side of her face. A hook! Turning her head, Sam rubbed the side of her cheek against the coat hook, earning a scrape. She hissed with pain, but ignored the sting of the shallow wound, overlooked the warm moisture as blood welled up and oozed sluggishly down her chin. Persistence paid off as she worked the hook under the gag and loosened it enough to pull the tape half off. Gratefully, she sucked in several welcome breaths, before resuming her frantic search for some way out. So intent was she that she almost missed the sound of footsteps returning. Freezing, Sam listened hard. Relief flooded her as she realized it was only one set, and too heavy to be anything but an adult. She drew breath.

"Help!" For good measure, she threw her small body against the door, rattling it.

"Sam?!" came a startled shout from the hall as the steps halted.

"Daniel!" she cried in relief. She heard a crash as the room's door was flung open.

The footsteps approached, and then hesitated, unsure, still several feet away. "Sam? Where are you?" Daniel called.

She closed her eyes, allowing her body to relax at the nearness of rescue. "In here."

"Sam?" This time, his surprised voice came from just outside the locker.

"Yeah," she replied, forcing her tone to remain even while she forced down the last of her fears. "Can you get me out of here?"

She heard the door rattle, and then more forcefully. "It's locked," he reported, sounding frustrated. "Sam, are you ok? What's going on?"

Drawing a steadying breath, Sam fought rising panic. "I'm fine. Just get me out of here, and I'll tell you later, please," she begged, her thin façade beginning to deteriorate.

"Ok. Just hang on Sam, I'm going to get Teal'c," he said, seeming to sense her distress. "He can probably unlock this, I left him in my office. When you didn't come back, I went to see if you were ok. I'll be right back."

"NO!" she cried, startled by her own vehemence.

"Sam?!" Daniel cried, no doubt equally startled. The door rattled again, as Daniel no doubt vented his aggravation, attempting in vain to open the locker again.

She struggled to calm herself. "If you leave, they might come back," she explained, barely able to contain a shiver of fear over what Curtis would do to her if he returned and found her alone. The fact that the older boy was probably long gone having been seen outside the room by a teacher, and even if he returned would likely be as unable to unlock the door as Daniel was, did not occur to her irrational state of mind.

A short silence answered her declaration, and she heard him pace a few steps in either direction. "Sam, I'm not sure I can get you out of there by myself," he worried, giving the door another good shake as if to illustrate his point.

Licking dry lips, Sam squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember what she'd seen of the room. The tools had indicated it belonged to maintenance. "What kind of lock is it?"

"A combination lock," he answered immediately. She nodded. Not the most secure kind for the determined thief.

"Is there a screwdriver around, flat head?" she asked. She cocked her head listening as his footsteps receded. Several drawers opened and bits of metal clanked together until she heard a triumphant noise.

"Got one," he announced on return.

"Good. Use the tip to pry off the dial," she directed.

Scraping noises echoed inside the enclosed space. An unexpected clang followed by a muffled yelp, and a curse in Abydonian made her jump.

"Daniel?"

"Easier said than done," he muttered in a tone of annoyance, as scraping resumed. "The screwdriver slipped." Metal protested, and a sudden pop made her jump again, bumping her head on a low shelf. "Got it!" Daniel cried.

Squeezing her eyes shut to envision the mechanism, as well as keep panic at bay, Sam gave Daniel the instructions needed to disable the locking device. It seemed to take forever, though she knew it was only bare minutes before the door abruptly opened, and she was forced to squint in the sudden bright light.

She only got a brief look at Daniel's face, filled with concern as he took in her appearance before she fell into his arms. Gently, he gathered her up, laying her on the floor. Quickly, he removed the rest of the tape from her mouth, sharing a sympathetic wince.

"Sam?" he asked, eyes taking in the state of her clothing and her bound wrists and ankles, the blood and bruise on her face. "Let me see if I can find something to cut that tape off with," he said. "Are you hurt? Who did this? What happened?" he asked, as he propped her gently in a sitting position against the wall, and started to stand to look about for something sharp.

"I'm fine," she said immediately, and then bit her lip, looking down at her knees as she wondered how to explain, when footsteps in the hall made her freeze. Picking up on her tension, Daniel turned toward the door. He motioned for her to stay silent, and crept away, using the workbench as cover. He peered into the hall, and just as a look of recognition played across his face, Sam realized that whoever approached walked with an all too familiar tread. Before she knew it, Daniel was waving in Teal'c, who took in her condition immediately. He'd dropped into a defensive crouch, scanning for threats before Daniel even had a chance to explain. Teal'c relaxed only slightly at the news that whoever was responsible for Sam's condition was long gone and crossed the room in a few long strides.

Kneeling down beside her, Teal'c produced a pocketknife, which he used without delay on the tape about her wrists, before passing the blade to Daniel, to use on her ankles. Daniel was passing the knife back when he stopped, one hand lifting the hem of her t-shirt to expose her abdomen. "Sam?" he asked, concerned blue eyes searching her face.

"Someone didn't want me to talk," she explained quietly. Teal'c made a noise, oddly like a growl, but Daniel's eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened.

"Your pants are undone, did they…" he began to ask. "No," she said quickly. Daniel's brows knitted together at her hasty response. "No," she said again more firmly, and then looked away. "They were interrupted," she said, unable to meet his eye. "I'm ok," she said. But her hands, trying to close her pants were shaking too badly to get the job done. Wordlessly, Daniel moved her hands gently aside and accomplished the task. Sam realized that more than her hands were shaking.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Daniel's arms enveloped her securely, and Sam bit her lip, fighting back tears as she wound her fists into his shirt. "I'm ok," she repeated, "I'm ok. I'm sorry," she apologized, though disjointedly, she knew she had nothing to apologize for.

"Shhh," he replied, rubbing her back and seeming to need the contact as much as she did. "It's me who's sorry. I should have noticed you were taking too long, and gone looking for you sooner." Sam started to protest, but Teal'c interrupted, having moved to the doorway, to peer out into the hall.

"We should leave this place," he urged.

"Agreed," said Daniel, rising with her still clutched in his arms. "We'll talk later."

"But," Sam protested, still fighting back the emotional response. Immediately, she worried what would happen if someone saw them together, especially the way she looked now. Questions would no doubt be asked.

Daniel transferred her to a more secure position on his hip. Sam wanted to argue that she could walk, but couldn't bring herself to voice the protest. As if sensing her reservations, Daniel gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "No buts, you're in no state to argue Sam, Teal'c is right. I'll call Jack on the way, he can meet us at the base."

"We will not be seen," added Teal'c, as if sensing her concerns.

She sighed, not loosening her grip on Daniel's shirt, and nodded, leaning against his chest. "Ok." Daniel glanced down at her quickly in concern, but then decided they'd have time to deal with events later, and indicated that Teal'c should take the lead.

They met no one on the way out, whether because of their stealth, or the circuitous route Teal'c chose. They reached the back lot where Daniel had left his car with no one the wiser. Tossing Teal'c the keys, Daniel slid into the backseat with Sam. It was probably fortunate that there was no booster seat, because Sam wasn't sure she could release the death grip she held on her teammate. Daniel continued to rub her back in soothing circles. Dimly, as she fell into a fitful doze, she was vaguely aware that the man was softly singing what sounded like a lullaby in some language she didn't recognize, the melodic syllables a liquid music of their own.


	29. Revelations

_Chapter 29: Revelations_

A feeling of confinement startled her awake, arms holding her securely, and Sam fought reflexively, even before she took in the familiar sights and smells around her and realized she was being carried, not restrained. "Sam, take it easy, you're safe," Daniel told her. She took in his worried look, and then examined her surroundings, taking in the recognizable gray concrete block tunnels, and the deep, almost subliminal hum that was Cheyenne Mountain. Teal'c stood nearby, silently watching his two younger teammates.

"Sorry," she apologized again, and Daniel patted her back, looking worried as the two men resumed their walk. Belatedly, she realized where they were heading, and squirmed. "I'm fine, I don't need to go to the infirmary," she protested.

"I'll be the judge of that," spoke a new voice as they crossed the doorway.

"Janet!" Sam exclaimed, turning a look of accusation on her two team mates.

Arms crossed, Janet surveyed the group while they filed past. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Sam was tortured by a group of adolescent psychopaths," Daniel explained grimly, setting her carefully on a bed and gently tugging up the hem of her t-shirt to reveal a few inches of bruising. Janet gasped, tearing her eyes from Sam's abdomen to study Daniel's serious face, and Teal'c's posture of barely contained menace. "They would have done worse if they hadn't been interrupted."

"Worse?" Janet managed. None of them replied, but Daniel looked ill, Teal'c crossed his arms and set his jaw, and Sam avoided everyone's gaze. "I see," she said, abruptly taking charge. "Out. Both of you out. And see that you keep the Colonel from charging in here." The two men beat a hasty retreat, though Daniel sent her a troubled look over his shoulder.

After they had made themselves scarce, Janet pulled the curtains around, and turned back to Sam, indicating with a gesture that she should lie back and pull up her shirt. Too tired to argue, Sam complied, turning her head to avoid seeing the shocked look on her friend's face. For her part, after her initial reaction, Janet hid her feelings behind professionalism, asking questions and palpating gently. Sam answered in monosyllables as Janet turned to the scrape on her face, carefully cleaning the dried blood away and applying antibiotic ointment, announcing that the cut was too shallow to require stitches and was unlikely to scar. Finally, the cool mask slipped, and Sam felt the bed sag next to her. A warm touch on her cheek forced her to turn her head. Janet regarded her, her concern plain. "Sam, what happened?" she asked.

At the simple question, Sam felt her chin tremble. Wordlessly, Janet gathered her into her arms, and the tears that she had somehow managed to hold at bay in front of the rest of her team broke free. Gradually, her sobs turned to hiccups, and Sam was conscious of Janet rocking her gently, making soothing noises. Impatiently, Sam brushed away tears and apologized. Gripping her by the arms, Janet pushed her away, her eyes angry. Sam blinked in surprise.

"You have nothing to apologize for Samantha Carter, nothing," Janet said fiercely, and held her gaze until she nodded hesitantly. "Oh Sam," she said, gathering her in for another hug. This time, Sam returned the embrace.

Finally, the two broke apart. "Now, tell me what happened," Janet said again.

Hesitantly at first, and then as Janet remained impartial, Sam recounted the afternoon's events, taking strength in Janet's quiet presence during the more difficult parts. The afternoon's events came clear in fits and starts. She explained how Curtis was connected to Seshat, and how the boy had been willing to hurt her to keep his meeting secret, seemed to enjoy it even. It was hard to tell Janet about how helpless she'd been at the hands of a few adolescents, but somehow, she just couldn't stop talking once she'd started, as if once the gates had opened, there was no shutting them. At last, she was done, and leaned tiredly against her friend, vaguely aware of various aches and pains. Janet sat by her side in silence for several long moments, before giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Wait here," she said. Sam blinked, acutely missing her friend's embrace as she stood and slipped out of the cubicle. The doctor's heels clicked away.

Sam had drawn her knees up despite the discomfort in her abdomen by the time Janet returned, bearing a small oral syringe and carton of juice as well as a small bundle of cloth. Janet frowned when Sam didn't make her customary grimace as she took the medication with a questioning look.

"Motrin for the pain, and a little something to help you sleep. No arguments, you need rest." Janet only looked more concerned when Sam swallowed the dose without even a token protest, automatically reaching for the juice. "Here," she said, deciding for the moment to let Sam's passiveness slide. It might after all just be fatigue.

Shaking out the cloth, Janet revealed an article of clothing. "This should do as a nightshirt," she explained. She shrugged at Sam's puzzled frown. "Never hurts to collect a few loose items now and again," she said. Sam took the offered adult sized black t-shirt, but when Janet turned to leave, Sam caught her sleeve. Almost immediately, she let go, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Janet studied her. "You don't want to be alone do you?" she asked. Sam looked down and shook her head. "That's understandable. Why don't I stay until you fall asleep? After that, I don't think I'll be able to keep the rest of SG-1 out of here, and they'll probably take it in turns until you are feeling more yourself."

Sam swallowed, and then nodded. "Thanks Janet."

Her friend smiled. "That's what friends are for. Let's get you more comfortable." Before long, Sam was tucked into the bed, Janet settled in a nearby chair, writing in a chart. As much as she worried over what her dreams would hold, Sam could no longer win against the battle to stay awake.

* * *

Gazing down at her friend, Janet watched Sam's even breathing. Aside from the bruise on her chin and the scrape across one pale cheek, Janet could almost forget the struggles the woman turned child had endured earlier at the hands of some sick teenager and his pack of cronies. And then she remembered the collection of odd symmetrical pairs of purpling bruises scattered over Sam's small stomach, curious tiny ridge marks imprinted in places on the skin where burst blood vessels hadn't filled them. She recalled the ill look on Daniel's face, and the way Teal'c had seethed with barely contained anger. Of Sam's faltering speech as she described the cold look of pleasure on the boy Curtis's face as he hurt her, and how much further he may have gone if Daniel hadn't come looking for her. Some clinical part of her mind diagnosed the boy with antisocial personality disorder. It fit after all. He hadn't seemed the least remorseful according to Sam's description, and he possessed a level of charisma that brought him followers, like moths to a flame.

Shaking her head to dispel morbid thoughts, Janet stood, one hand hovering over her sleeping friend. Fear of waking Sam stayed her hand though, and Janet again was struck by the innocence of Sam's child guise, horrified in a detached way that anyone, even a sociopath, especially one still himself a child, could harm her. Could harm a child, let alone take pleasure in it.

Pausing at the curtain, Janet gave Sam one last look, and slipped out. She found the rest of SG-1, including Colonel O'Neill, waiting in the hall outside the infirmary. Teal'c looked only marginally calmer to the trained observer, but his crossed arms and stiff posture would no doubt send all but the most serious patients running in the opposite direction as he leaned against a wall, glaring at nothing. Daniel slumped in a plastic chair, face buried in his hands. Jack paced, pent up energy forcing him into useless motion. At her approach, three sets of eyes turned on her, and Daniel jumped to his feet.

"She's ok," Janet told them, holding up a hand to forestall them from rushing into the infirmary. "She's sleeping," she said, her tone hinting at dire consequences should any of them wake her. The three men hovered, as if held back by a rubber band. Her countenance softened. "I'll let one of you, and only one of you in at a time, and only because I think she needs someone nearby when she wakes. The rest of you should talk to General Hammond before he ends up down here as well." She could almost see the restraining band growing taut, as the three exchanged looks, words passing without the benefit of speech.

Finally, Daniel swallowed, wetting dry lips. "I'll go, I found her."

"I will accompany you, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c volunteered.

Jack released a pent up breath. "Ok, guess I'll take first watch then," he said. The men relaxed, and Janet stepped aside, letting the older man pass, needlessly pressing a finger to her lips. Daniel and Teal'c headed off in the opposite direction, both shooting looks over their shoulders as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the female member of their team. Janet sighed, left alone in the hallway. Giving herself a shake, she headed for her office. She had a report to write.

* * *

Jack forced his clenched fists to relax. The briefing wasn't going well. SG-1 was scattered around the briefing room in various stages of agitation. Before they had begun, Hammond had sensed he'd get little of use until all of them had laid eyes on their teammate, and granted them time, including himself, to do so, before ordering them to return to the briefing room with the addition of Dr. Fraiser. The doctor had come only when Hammond had drawn out of her the concession that it was unlikely Sam would wake for hours. Still, the woman had taken the precaution of detailing one of the nurses to Sam's bedside, just in case. With an air of forced detachment, Fraiser had imparted to the rest of them just what had gone on in that basement room of the school, an edited version of what Sam had told her.

It was all Jack could do to keep from leaping up and charging from the room, to look for a certain smug teenage face to pound flat. The rest of them didn't look much better to Jack's eye. He'd only once before seen Teal'c take on that look that screamed revenge, and Daniel alternated between barely controlled anger and looking like he needed to go throw up. Jack had to admit he felt similarly, only his urge to beat the crap out of something, or someone, was much stronger than his need to be ill. He'd better hit the gym after this briefing. A few rounds against the punching bag, and maybe pumping a little iron would work to control his fury; at least enough to keep from doing something that would jeopardize the mission.

And that was the rub.

All of them quivered with an anger that begged to be released, as well as a desire to protect. It was unlikely that Sam was the first, or only victim of this deranged boy. Each and every one of them ached to prevent a recurrence of the day's events just as much as they yearned for vengeance. Until Hammond had pointed out in a quiet voice if this wasn't the evidence they had been looking for.

Sam's revelation that Curtis and his little band of juvenile delinquents were connected in someway to Seshat somehow didn't surprise them as much as it probably should have, given that the group was little more than children. Not to mention, the knowledge seriously hampered any thoughts of revenge, whether through legitimate channels, or some other clandestine fashion. Not that Jack wouldn't have done more than scare the crap out of the group. Maybe. Sharing a sideways look with Teal'c, he might just have reserved a little something special for Curtis. Nothing that would harm the boy permanently of course, but Jack had plenty of ideas…

Without any other link to Seshat though, they needed Curtis. His desire to leave the boy duct taped, naked, on the school steps with a note explaining his misdeeds stapled to his hairless chest would have to wait.

Unfortunately, the most likely person to keep tabs on Curtis was Sam. And he most certainly didn't want Sam anywhere near the miscreant, at least not while she was still small. Zap her back to the Major Carter he knew and missed, and he'd reconsider. Judging by the comments and feelings sizzling around the room, the rest of SG-1 felt similarly.

But they had much bigger fish to fry.

As much as they hated to admit it, they needed Curtis because he could lead them straight to Seshat. By Sam's report, the boy had just come from a meeting with the Goa'uld, and if there were one meeting, there likely would be more. And they needed Sam, both because of her unremarkable identity at the school and for her ability to sense Goa'uld symbiotes. But he didn't have to like the idea of letting Curtis go unpunished, and Sam get near him again, and the rest were finding the idea equally unpalatable.

"It doesn't feel right," Daniel protested, yet again, frowning fiercely at the pen he held. "I mean, what if he were some kind of pedophile? We don't know what he would have done if I hadn't interrupted. Don't we have an obligation to alert the proper authorities about what happened?"

Hammond narrowed his eyes slightly, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "Dr. Jackson, while ordinarily I would agree, in this situation, I believe we have an even bigger obligation to protect Providence, and the people of Earth from Seshat."

"Seshat poses an even greater threat to Providence School than Curtis," chimed in Teal'c, looking rather like he'd just bitten into something sour.

"So, what, we just let the punk walk?" growled Jack. Angrily, he crumpled up the piece of paper he'd been doodling on.

"I am not suggesting that," interjected Hammond quietly. "I've made a few phone calls. The R&D department believes they have something that could help. They have recently finished a device that will allow us break through the electrical interference surrounding the school and tap into security feeds within a certain distance. Using this technology, I believe we will be able to keep a discreet eye on activities at the school."

"Surveillance?" asked Teal'c.

The General nodded. "I am putting together a team to man a vehicle. From my understanding, there are cameras in all public areas of the school."

"Not enough in my opinion," grumbled Jack, thinking of all the gaps in the non-public areas they'd be left with.

"It will have to be enough, Colonel," said Hammond, frowning slightly. "People, I don't think I need to remind you that our mission has always held a certain bit of urgency. Major Carter has found solid evidence that Seshat is interfering directly with the population of the school, and we need to neutralize her before she can make anyone else disappear."

Daniel's jaw tightened as he visibly struggled to weigh the needs of many versus the needs of one he counted as a friend. "And what about Sam? Obviously, even with these new security precautions, she's not safe." His declaration met a contemplative silence. They were all thinking the same thing.

Just then, an airman approached the General before he could reply, and whispered in his ear. Hammond straightened and beckoned to Janet. After a brief whispered exchange, Dr. Fraiser retreated to Hammond's office, answering the phone. During the moment of distraction, Jack took it upon himself to answer Daniel's speculation.

"We knew it wouldn't be safe to start with, Daniel," Jack said dryly. It was a lesson that he had had to learn himself, and if he were honest, one he wasn't particularly pleased to reconcile himself to, especially now that the proof was before them. Daniel turned in his direction in surprise.

"Jack?" he asked.

"Hello? Goa'uld? Unknown minions on the loose?" Jack shrugged, forcing his body to relax in a way he didn't feel as he tilted his chair back. "Carter knew what she was getting into." Dimly, he heard part of Janet's conversation through the open doorway. "She's what?" the doctor demanded. "How long? What do you mean you don't know?" He had little time to puzzle the meaning out, needing to focus on the debate.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed, somewhat reluctantly, "But the watches were supposed to alert us when she was in danger."

"Well, obviously, they need a little work," Jack grumbled, giving up his feigned relaxation and leaning forward again with a thump, equally put off by the failure of their main security device.

Daniel set his pen down, leaning forward with his hands folded together. "Look, I'd be the first to say Sam can normally take care of herself, but this is different. Maybe we should step back, reconsider things."

"Daniel Jackson, we are far too immersed to withdraw now," argued Teal'c.

Jack sighed, shaking his head. "Look, if I thought we could do it without Carter," he started to say.

"You can't do it without me," interrupted a small voice from the doorway.

"Sam!" Daniel stood, looking both worried and relieved to see his teammate. Sam's hair was damp, and she'd changed into her child sized BDU's. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, with a frown on her face.

"You aren't doing this without me," she repeated, lifting her chin slightly. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the shower she'd obviously taken, but the bruise on her chin and the thin red scrape stood out starkly against her otherwise pale skin.

"Sam, you should be in the infirmary," Janet announced, coming out of the office and looking flustered.

The slight flush to her childish cheeks deepened, and Sam shrugged slightly, giving the doctor a wry look. "I guess we don't have the level of sedative right. I wanted a shower, and when I didn't see anyone around, I figured I'd find everyone here." Her face said she was thankful she had come looking.

Janet ignored the somewhat accusing stare. "You gave my nurse a near panic attack. She just called and said she left you to go tend to an unexpected patient, and when she got back half an hour later, you were gone."

Sam shrugged again. "Sorry," she said, her tone anything but repentant. Janet sighed.

"Fine, stay for now, but you're going back to the infirmary after the briefing," she decided. Sam nodded, and relaxed marginally, joining the rest at the table, taking a seat next to Daniel.

"Major," Hammond greeted. "I know you've told Dr. Fraiser, but do you feel up to telling the rest of us what happened today?" he asked gently.

Sam swallowed, looking down and closing her eyes briefly, and then nodded, looking back up with a firm resolve noted in the set of her features. Taking a deep breath, she began. To her credit, her voice only wavered during the most difficult parts. Daniel reached out and touched the back of her hand, and Sam glanced over, taking strength. At other times, she met Teal'c's eyes, calming her nerves. Occasional restless movements from the Colonel's direction reminded her that Jack was there; ready to fight alongside of her.

When she finished, a brief silence settled over the room. Eventually, Hammond cleared his throat. "Major Carter, are you prepared to continue with the mission?"

Pausing, Sam looked around the table. Teal'c returned her gaze calmly, but she could see that he was prepared to do whatever necessary to see the mission to its end. Jack's eyes were hard, calculating. Trusting. Janet was caring, if a little worried. Hammond professional, leaving the choice to her, but she sensed that he would be supportive no matter what she chose. Daniel…

Too many emotions played across the young man's face. Concern for her, helplessness, and frustration at the situation all warred for control. But most of all, his affection and respect for her were clearly present. And Sam's resolve grew from that fact.

Whatever happened, she would not face what was to come alone.

"Yes, sir," she answered firmly, without a hint of hesitation. Around the table, a feeling of tension was released, like a breath exhaled.

"So be it," declared the General, rising, and the rest followed suit. "SG-1, Dr. Fraiser, you are dismissed."

And so the mission continued.

_A/N: I am glad I have not lost many of you from the last chapter. I hope this chapter helps, even if there's no dire revenge taken against Curtis. Unfortunately, he is needed for now. Be sure he'll be dealt with, later. There's some more touchy feeliness I'm working on for the next chapter, and then back on with the show._


	30. Moments of Clarity

_Chapter 30: Moments of Clarity_

Late the next morning, Sam sought Teal'c out. Janet had insisted on keeping her in the infirmary overnight, which meant missing school the next day, even though she'd felt much better after a full night's sleep. Physically at least.

Emotionally was a whole different can of worms.

Her confidence in her ability to defend herself and carry on her part in the mission had never been high since the glitch that had made her so much younger than originally planned. How could you feel confident in a physical battle when you were just barely over three feet tall? But her sessions with Teal'c, and the assurance her team held in her had led her to believe that maybe she could pull of this mission despite the odds. Yesterday though, a band of little more than adolescents had taken her unaware, and her confidence was sorely shaken. Instinctively, she sought out the one person that could help her sort through the confusing maelstrom of thoughts and conflicting emotions whirling in her head.

Sam found her large friend outside sitting cross-legged on a wide, flat boulder in the sun. He appeared to be meditating. Sam hesitated, unwilling to disturb him, even though she knew Teal'c no longer needed to kelnorim. Despite his lack of a symbiote, the large Jaffa had maintained that the process of kelnorim was relaxing to the disordered state of mind, and had continued to practice the steps of controlled meditation formerly necessary to bring about a state of rest and healing.

Just as she had decided to go back inside and seek out her teammate later, Teal'c opened his eyes. "Major Carter," he greeted, tilting his head slightly to regard her. "Do you require my assistance?"

She wrinkled her nose, hesitating. "I didn't mean to bother you, Teal'c," she said.

He inclined his head slightly. "You can never disturb me, Major Carter. Please, come, sit beside me." Sam relaxed at the invitation, clambering up onto the large rock, sighing as the warmth of the sun on her back and the stone underneath seeped into abused muscles.

"It's a good thing we aren't using the Oops Jar anymore," she joked, referring to SG-1's current reversion into using familiar signs of address. Glancing sideways at Teal'c, she caught a slight smile.

"We will not use the incorrect names when it matters," he replied with total confidence.

She shrugged. "I suppose you're right." A breeze blew, ruffling her hair, and she closed her eyes briefly. As she shifted to get more comfortable, the soreness in her abdomen reminded her of the events of the previous day and she tensed.

Noting her tension, Teal'c looked down at her. "You are preoccupied," he stated.

Her eyes shot back open, and she looked up at Teal'c in surprise. "Yeah," she admitted reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"How can I be of assistance?"

Frowning, Sam pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, and laid her chin on bent knees. "Curtis took me by surprise yesterday, Teal'c, and he shouldn't have. I let him get a hold on me. I can't let that happen again."

Teal'c was silent for a moment, pondering. "You wish to practice defense moves?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief that he understood so quickly, she relaxed slightly. "Yes. You'll help?"

"No."

Startled, Sam lifted her head, meeting Teal'c's gaze. "What? Why not? I need help Teal'c, bad." She bit her lip against further self-incriminating statements.

"Your thoughts are elsewhere. And while I believe there is some benefit to venting frustrations in a physical manner, I do not think it is what you need at this time." He studied her thoughtfully.

"Oh," she said weakly, disheartened. But Teal'c wasn't finished.

"I propose we endeavor to empty your mind of disruptive and disorganized thoughts. When I judge that you are mentally prepared, we will retire to the mat," he announced.

"We… uh… what?" she asked, feeling a little dazed.

No doubt taking pity on her, his face relaxed. "You must be able to re-enter this mission with you mind ordered, or your foes will have an advantage. Kelnorim will allow you to control your thoughts, and reach the proper state of mental readiness," he explained.

Sam's brows drew together. "You want me to meditate? I'm not sure if I can do that."

"I will help you. It is not precisely meditation that I will show you, but a form of mental awareness that we teach young Jaffa before they receive their first primta, in order to help them learn the mental control they will later need to properly Kelnorim." He smiled gently at her disbelieving look. "Come, find a comfortable position, and we will begin," he directed, leaving no room for further protests.

Giving her teammate one last look, Sam obeyed, deciding to copy his pose. At the last moment, she arranged herself with her back touching his, wanting the contact. Teal'c said nothing about her chosen position, and instead, launched immediately into the lesson.

"Close your eyes and empty your mind," he directed. "Your troubles belong to someone else. Listen to my voice, and my voice only."

Concentrating on his words, Sam tried to forget about her worries and focus on her surroundings as Teal'c began to describe them in minute detail. Sensations slowly began to come alive. The sun on her face was like a kiss, the breeze a caress. Her inner eye began to visualize the things she had seen before she closed her eyes, but with a sharp clarity she hadn't known she possessed.

Sun gleamed through a blade of grass like a stained glass window, highlighting delicate veins. A leaf drifted across her mind's eye, like a dancer to unseen music, caught in the choreography of the wind. A pinecone fell, and she imagined she could hear the sound as it hit the ground many feet away, saw the bumpy projections of the cone, a drop of sap glistening in the afternoon light. The trees whispered to one another, their secrets known only to other green growing things. A female robin flitted from branch to branch and tree to tree, spreading wings wide to cup the air. Perching, she preened, fluffing brown feathers and cleaning a wing feather, the muted red of her belly standing out among the remaining brown leaves of the maple she rested in.

The meadow was alive, with sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. Sam felt she was experiencing it more fully through Teal'c's descriptions than she ever would have with her eyes open. So immersed into the experience was she, that it was some time before she noticed that Teal'c had stopped talking. By then, an unknown length of time had passed, but so vivid were his words that she had continued to experience the visualization in her mind. Slowly, the pictures and feelings began to fade, and she became conscious of her own body, growing stiff from remaining motionless for so long. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds, taking the unseasonable warmth with it, and only her back where it touched Teal'c was still warm.

Teal'c must have sensed the change in her breathing. "You have done well, Major Carter," he said, sounding pleased.

Sam opened her eyes, blinking at her surroundings. Everything seemed dim, somehow colder and less defined, and not just because of the new angle of the sun. "Um… wow," she said, a little weakly. She sensed Teal'c smiling, before he moved, rising easily.

Facing her, he held out a hand, and Sam took it, realizing she was stiff and needed the assistance. "Come," he said, "You are ready to spar now."

Dusting her pants off, Sam looked up at her remarkable friend. He never failed to surprise her. "Thanks Teal'c," she said sincerely.

"It has been my pleasure to aid you, Major Carter," he replied. Turning, he led the way inside, and Sam followed, feeling relaxed in a way she would not have imagined after yesterday.

* * *

"Hey Sam," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Sam looked up from her laptop and offered her friend a wan smile.

"Hey Daniel," she returned, stretching with a groan.

He gave her a rueful look. "I came to see if you wanted to join me for lunch."

Sam looked down at the laptop, and considered for a minute. Her eating schedule was off, and despite the late afternoon hour, she'd not had a full meal since breakfast and a hastily grabbed snack after her sparring match with Teal'c.

"Yeah, just let me shut this program down," she said. She was actually hungry, though she suspected that Daniel was looking after more than just her stomach this time. He confirmed it a moment later, as he crossed the rest of the way in the room.

"No need," he said, "I brought lunch." He produced a medium sized paper bag, which he set on a clear space on her workbench, and Sam noticed a tempting aroma coming from the bag.

"Is that…?" she asked, pushing the laptop out of the way.

"Lucy's Deli," he supplied before she could complete the question, already opening the bag and removing wrapped sandwiches.

"My favorite," she replied happily. Daniel's answering grin as he passed over one of the sandwiches said he knew that perfectly well. He paused in the unpacking and held up a soda can with a quizzical look.

Sam considered, and shook her head wistfully. "I shouldn't, not after the other night." Daniel only shrugged as if he wasn't surprised. Putting the soda down, he pulled out two small plastic bottles of chocolate milk. At her curious look, he shrugged again.

"It's supposed to be good for you isn't it?" he said mildly, handing her a bag of chips, and starting to open his own packages.

She giggled. "My dad always used to say, 'Drink your milk, it will put hair on your chest,'" she finished, having deepened her voice and put on a mock stern expression.

"You must not have not drunk enough growing up then," he said, so seriously that for a moment, she almost believed him. He smiled, and they both dissolved into laughter.

The mood lightened as they applied themselves to their meal. Sam was nearly finished when he finally broached the subject she knew had brought him.

"So, Sam, how are you doing, really?" he asked, looking at her across the table.

She frowned down at the remains of her sandwich and collected her thoughts. "Ok. Really. I'm not back to normal, but I'm getting there," she answered honestly.

He studied her, and then nodded, looking relieved.

"What about you?" she asked suddenly, before he could continue.

He looked surprised at her question, but she could see he was giving it sincere thought. "Truthfully," he said, "I'm not all that comfortable with letting you go back there," holding up a hand over her automatic protest. "It's taking every bit of control I have not to do something about Curtis and his little band of terrors. Letting them go unpunished goes against every moral fiber I have. And letting you near them again is even worse," he sighed, shaking his head.

"To be just as honest," she said quietly, "The thought of going anywhere near those…" she paused, casting about for a word, and finally settling on, "bullies, gives me the chills. But the thought of letting Seshat remain free is even worse. Daniel, you didn't see his face when he was talking about her. It was like she was his… I don't know…" she trailed off.

"Goddess?" Daniel supplied helpfully, and Sam nodded.

"That's it exactly. He worshiped her." She shook her head. "I doubt he was a model citizen before she found him, but there is no doubt in my mind that she's the one responsible for molding him into what he is now." She looked up and met his gaze. "We owe it to Providence, and Earth to see this through. "

He sighed, and nodded. "I still don't have to like it."

She crumpled her sandwich wrapper. "When it comes down to it, he's just a bully."

"I hate bullies," Daniel said with sudden, and surprising vehemence, and Sam looked at him in surprise. He gave her a sheepish look. "I was the new kid. Small, skinny, smart, glasses… well you get the picture."

Sam nodded in understanding. "We moved a lot, my family. Skipping a grade didn't help either. It took me a while, but eventually I learned to spot the trouble makers, and avoid them like the plague."

"It helped if you stayed with the crowds, or in sight of teachers too," Daniel added.

"Oh, yeah," she agreed, suddenly looking much more relaxed.

"What?" he asked, noticing her shift in mood.

"Bullies are cowards really. They act tough, but at the heart, they are afraid of being caught, they want to be accepted by their peers," Sam said.

Daniel looked thoughtful, and nodded. "Yeah, they look for easy targets."

"Most of them wouldn't act up under a teacher's nose," she said, giving Daniel a smile.

"So all you need to do is make sure you stay under the teacher's noses as much as possible," he grinned.

She shook her head ruefully. "Not too hard, we don't go many places without a chaperone anyway."

"Good. That leaves just one more thing," Daniel announced. Sam gave him a quizzical look, and Daniel grinned, reaching into the bag and pulling out two plastic containers. "Dessert," he said. Sam smiled happily, accepting a slice of cheesecake; suddenly glad she had teammates like Teal'c and Daniel looking out for her.

* * *

Jack leaned back in his chair, letting the familiar sounds of friendly debate wash over him. This team night had been a good idea. Sam and Daniel were engaged in a quiet, whispered conversation on topics ranging from the plot of the movie to the plausibility of recreating some of the fictitious tech shown on the film that Jack had already forgotten the name to. Daniel had picked it, some cheesy sci-fi flick. Or it least it seemed cheesy to him. But Carter seemed to enjoy it, and perhaps, that was why the archeologist had chosen it, judging by their spirited discussion.

He watched the two covertly, taking care not to be noticed. Sam appeared relaxed, none of the traces of the previous day's ordeal lingering on her features as she occupied herself in quiet, but animated dialogue with Daniel. Teal'c weighed in occasionally with the infrequent opinion, only seeming to spur the younger two on.

Jack stayed silent, pretending interest in the film if anyone looked his way. In reality, he was too distracted to watch the film, and participate in the fast moving discussion the two scientists were holding on the bed. So he watched them, and tried to settle his worries. He knew through a little discreet probing, namely the security camera footage, that Carter had spent the morning with Teal'c, and lunch with Daniel. But when hours had passed, and she'd shown no inclination towards budging on her own from her lab, Jack had quickly organized an impromptu team night. It had been easy enough to persuade the others, and Teal'c had agreed to host.

Sam had also agreed readily, and Jack had been surprised at first. But now, after watching her unwind with her teammates, he realized that she'd needed this time as much as he did. They all did.

SG-1 did.

When Curtis had attacked her the day before, he'd unwittingly struck at the rest of SG-1 as well. In fact, the entire SGC would no doubt rise up in her defense given the opportunity. Jack had a brief, cheerful image of the entire SGC chasing Curtis around the football field. Ah well. Hammond would never go for it anyway. The kid was damn lucky.

Still, letting Curtis go went against every protective grain in his body, but Jack knew, deep down, that Curtis was the way he was because of Seshat. In the grand scheme of things, the boy was just a pawn. But he was useful, and could lead them to his mistress, all unknowingly. Seshat was the big fish they were after. And he knew, from his past, that sometimes, you had to let the little fish go in order to catch the bigger ones.

He still didn't have to like it.

Dropping Sam off on Monday was no doubt going to be one of the hardest things he'd done in his career. But watching her now, watching them, he knew she'd not be alone.

Daniel sat next to her now, his knee sometimes touching her leg, or his fingers brushing against her arm, the contact reminding them both she was whole and safe. The younger man seemed overly conscious of her movements, her moods. Daniel was watching Sam, when he thought she wasn't looking, just as Jack was covertly observing the rest of his team.

Teal'c leaned against the bed that was their usual perch when visiting his quarters. He remained attentive, his posture alert. While he appeared to be watching the movie, Jack knew Teal'c was watchful for threats, but was still keeping track of the conversation going on behind him. It was all as it should be.

Watching them, Jack could finally relax.

They were SG-1, and they would face whatever came, together.

_A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank those of you that have sent messages, prompts, and reminders for updates, some of you repeatedly. You all know who you are. You readers are the motivating force that helps keep me going with the story. Although I have no intention of leaving it unfinished. Yes, I know, sometimes, the updates are sporadic, and I can't make promises when the next will be, but I can promise that this story will eventually finish. Once again, I thank each and every one of you for reading, especially those of you that take the time to review and even send little prompts my way._


	31. The Best Laid Plans

_A/N: I have no real excuses for where I've been, or what I've been doing in the last 3 or so years since the last update. We can call it a major case of writer's block if you want. Do know that I've always intended to finish the story. I never wanted to be one of those folks that abandoned a fic. So sorry for the long wait, but I hope it will be worth it. The finished piece has something around 340 pages, 130,000+ words, and will finish in about 7 chapters, the latter of which are still being tweaked slightly, but are written. Fear not, for the end is near. Also a great big thank you goes to Samfan9, who answered my call from the dark side, and spent countless hours pouring over this fic, especially these last few chapters. Not only that, but she puts up with constant emails, and my whinging complaints about flexible grammar rules and patiently limits my overuse of commas to a more manageable level. _

_Chapter 31: The Best Laid Plans  
_

The mission continued, even though her first few days back at school had her jumping at shadows. She explained away the bruise and scrape on her face as the result of a fall off her bike, and no one seemed the least bit suspicious. Taking the attendance records to the office was more of a challenge, but Sam mustered her courage, and took a moment to remember the previous day in the meadow with Teal'c. The memory would do much over the coming days to calm her nerves.

She did not encounter Curtis or his cronies that day, but the next, she caught sight of the older boy leaning casually against a tree watching while her class was being led to the library. Sam pretended that she hadn't seen the boy, but she could sense his eyes boring into the back of her skull until she turned a corner.

Similar encounters began to occur with startling regularity. She saw Curtis too frequently for comfort, and if it wasn't Curtis, then one of the others was lurking around the corner, or staring at her from a safe distance. After a week of encounters, and Sam's lack of response, the group grew bolder. They came closer. Crumpled paper, pebbles, and other small projectiles struck her without warning, whenever the adults weren't looking. Laney managed to trip her as she passed an intersecting corridor, and the boys had also taken to occasionally shoving her when they could get away with it, once even toppling both her and Nathan.

Rather than frightening her, the small attacks only served to make Sam burn to complete her mission. Her response at first seemed to puzzle Curtis, and Sam often caught sight of him, watching her from a distance, with a curious and speculative regard. Sam could not bring herself to respond the way that she knew she should, after the first few times the teens had managed to penetrate the gaps in the protective bubble provided by the watchful adults around Sam's class. She refused to sink to the level of tears and helplessness. Every successful attack, in fact, seemed to stoke a small fire inside of her, and the puzzled look in Curtis's expression gradually gave way to a more predatory one. Sam was too angry to be frightened.

She chafed at her lack of freedom to strike back at her attackers. Driven by her helplessness, she made Jack drive her to base almost every afternoon, where she spent time with Teal'c, first meditating, and then working out on the mat with a focus that sometimes surprised the large man. While she rarely, if ever, managed to defeat him in single combat, she spent longer periods of time avoiding being mashed into the mat. To Sam, that was progress. Whenever possible, she enlisted the help of the rest of SG-1. Jack often joined in the sessions, two to one. Daniel spent hours with her devising ways to elude the bullies, and recalling clever tactics used to avoid unwanted attention, or perhaps, to gain the attention of protectors. They poured over the maps and blueprints together, outlining exits and escape routes. Sam was determined that a pack of unruly, untrained teenagers would not be able to overcome her so easily again. Her small improvements on the mat and planning sessions with Daniel led to greater confidence in her own ability to perform her part in the mission.

The task of delivering the attendance rosters to the office proved to be her one salvation and freedom. Sam had early on been given the task by her teachers either in an effort to teach her some responsibility, or merely as a gross oversight in judgment on their part. Soon, she began to take liberties with her early morning errand, stalking the halls, alert for any sign of Curtis or his gang lurking around corners. Sam now realized that her newly rekindled level of alertness had been missing from the earlier part of the mission while she'd adjusted to the unfamiliar a role of dependence dictated by her current appearance. Her heightened awareness allowed her to avoid not only Curtis and his band of troublemakers, but the unwanted interference of teachers and staff that might inadvertently interfere with her recon activities.

Persistence finally paid off. She came upon Curtis and Laney, talking quietly in the empty stairwell, no doubt certain they would hear anyone approaching their clandestine meeting. She cautiously drew near, taking care to remain hidden from view, crouching near the railing on the landing below. Her curiosity was immediately perked at the nature of the conversation.

"Well? Have you heard anything?" asked the girl.

"She's coming to the Homecoming Festival," he answered, "And she wants our help in selecting this year's chosen," he added.

"You're kidding," Laney replied in surprise.

"Nope," he answered smugly. "In fact, this calls for a celebration. Let's go find a certain kindergartener, see that she remembers her lessons," he announced, and the two began to head down the stairs.

Her mind reeling with the latest revelations, Sam ducked quietly out of the stairwell and into the nearby girl's lavatory, the door closing just in time. Voices just outside the door made her body go tense.

"We should nominate the little rat," suggested Laney.

"No, she's mine," protested Curtis, his possessive tone causing Sam to shiver involuntarily. Somehow, she knew, if the boy ever got his hands on her again, the time before would seem gentle by comparison.

The voices were fading, and Sam dropped to the floor, ear pressed to a vent on the door to hear the last words.

"I know, but you know that the ones Seshat chooses disappear," pointed out Laney. "It would solve our little problem once and for all. We can't have her telling anyone what happened after all."

"Hm. You may be right; I'll have to think about it. Now, let's talk about what we're going to…" The rest of Curtis' words grew too faint to make out, but Sam had heard enough. Even though she was sure that the two were long gone, she waited inside the bathroom long enough to make doubly sure, and even then, she listened at the vent for any sound of footsteps before cracking the door to peek out into the hall cautiously.

She was well overdue by the time she slipped back into her classroom. She shouldn't have hoped that her extended absence would go unnoticed.

"And where have you been?" demanded Mrs. Guilford immediately, before Sam could even slink to her seat.

"Um, I had to go to the bathroom?" she said, only a half-truth. Mrs. Guilford crossed her arms.

"Whatever am I going to do with you?" she said, sounding rather exasperated. Sam sighed, and took herself to the time out chair without being told, thereby missing the raised eyebrows and startled look exchanged between the teachers.

The day couldn't pass quickly enough for Sam. She was on edge every time the class left the room, on the lookout for Curtis or one of the others. The news she carried was too important to be delayed. Luck was finally with her, in a twisted sort of way. After her behavior that morning, the adults were keeping a close eye on her, and the gang was unable to pull any of its usual tricks. Briefly, Sam wondered if this side effect of increased adult supervision was worth the cost of acting out in class. In any case, she seemed helpless to avoid being a victim of her own mouth and misunderstood actions most of the time, but she'd have to keep it in mind.

It was with much relief that the school day finally ended. As usual, Jack was waiting in his prominent space at the top of the drive. Arms crossed, he was leaning casually against the side of the SUV and scanning the crowd surreptitiously from behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses. After her capture by Curtis and his gang, he'd taken to arriving ridiculously early to get the prime spot. It was his own way of providing backup to Sam should she need it.

Sam wasted little time greeting Jack and climbing in the truck. She was buckling herself in the now familiar booster seat by the time Jack got in the front. She barely waited until he shut the door before she burst out with her news.

"I know when Seshat will be at the school," she announced.

"What?" Jack asked, pausing in the act of fastening his seatbelt to turn about in his seat.

"She'll be here in a week. For the Homecoming Festival," she explained. Because of the size of the school, the usual Homecoming game festivities had been expanded to include an evening of fun and games for all ages, with a carnival like atmosphere. She had a hard time containing her excitement. After all, despite the danger, the mission was nearly over which meant that soon she could be back to her normal self.

Jack watched her a moment, looking at her over the tops of his sunglasses. "We'd better tell Hammond," he said finally, adjusting the glasses and turning forward. Sam nodded, secretly relieved that she was finally contributing something of real value to the mission besides vague hopes and putting to rest the feeling that she was little more than a liability in her current state, particularly given recent events.

Less than an hour later, SG-1 had gathered around the briefing room table. Hammond had some news for them too. The SGC had received a brief message from the Tok'ra. While the information had little impact on SG-1's current mission, it revealed that the Tok'ra had a lead on an off world base and were trying to infiltrate the ranks of the self-proclaimed goddess's followers. As with most Tok'ra communiques, the details were lacking.

Jack rolled his eyes and grumbled "You know they only told us that much because they will probably need us to come pull their snakey a…. uh, butts out of the fire."

Hammond gave him a quelling look. "While I may agree with you Colonel, the Tok'ra are our allies. Further, I need to tell all of you that our mole has missed a scheduled contact, and is now 24 hours overdue."

"24 hours?" Daniel asked, "That could be anything," the young man said, leaning forward in his chair and tapping his pen against his notepad in thought.

"I happen to agree Dr. Jackson, so that is why the Joint Chiefs and I have decided to go on with the mission. Capturing Seshat is our top priority, but I know I don't need to remind you all to proceed with caution." Various nods and murmurs of assent answered the admonition. "The last message we received from our contact inside suggested that Seshat could have as many as a dozen Jaffa," Hammond continued. "People, I cannot stress how important it is that we identify and neutralize as many of Seshat's forces as possible. Furthermore, we are increasingly certain that Seshat arrived here in a ship of some kind, and in the recent past. It goes without saying that we need to find that ship. Major Carter, could you tell us more about this Homecoming festival?"

Sam rose to her knees, and passed out copies a flier for the Homecoming festivities, to take place that coming Friday night. "School lets out midday, sir. There is going to be a carnival, with games and rides, activities for the whole family."

"Sounds crowded," Daniel commented.

"Indeed," added Teal'c. Jack just frowned, but the others could see the man's concerns over the thought of civilian casualties, especially kids.

"Daniel had the blueprints of the school converted to slides, General," Sam added. Hammond nodded permission, and Daniel stood, grabbing the remote off the table and dimmed the lights.

Everyone had different perspectives to contribute, and a plan gradually came together. Soon, they were deciding which available SG teams would fit in best with the operation. With the open nature of the festivities, a certain number of unfamiliar faces were to be expected, but it was prudent to avoid drawing attention to their covert operatives. Hammond approved the teams to carry zats and tranquilizers on the mission but nothing else. Jack agreed, knowing that stealth was their best option, surrounded as they would be by crowds of civilians, many of them children. If it came down to a firefight they were pretty much screwed anyway.

Jack was placed in charge of the covert mission and in bringing the other SG teams up to speed. Teal'c let them know that he had mapped out the dimensions of the underground area that they'd long ago suspected existed from the discrepancy on the blueprints, but as of yet had not discovered an entrance to. He intended to spend the remainder of the time concentrating on finding a way in given the importance of preventing Seshat from escaping and their growing certainty that a ship did exist.

By now, they all suspected that if there were a spaceship, it was probably hidden under the school, and perhaps the source of the EM cloud that interfered with communications. The school maintained that rare mineral deposits caused the interference, but Sam and the SGC science teams suspected something technological. The joint chiefs had expressed interest in obtaining the technology if possible. Such an ability had many practical applications in other situations. Whatever the cause though, the jamming caused endless headaches for pulling off a well-coordinated pinpoint strike with minimal collateral. Despite the knowledge that they wouldn't work, Hammond ordered that all participants in the strike force, including Sam, would wear a blue tooth like radio, in case they managed to neutralize the jamming device.

The meeting broke up, with everyone confident about the role they would play in the upcoming mission. However, General Hammond motioned to Sam to remain behind. "A word, Major," he said.

Sam stopped gathering her things, while the General waited for the others to file out. She watched as he took a seat next to her. "Major," he said, his expression intent. "You know that if needed, we could find a different position for you on the mission? Teal'c can assist to locate Seshat and her Jaffa, and we could use you with the support teams, trying to bring down the EM cloud."

Sam frowned, studying her small hands as she rubbed her palms together slowly. Stilling the motion, she lifted her chin slightly and met the General's concerned gaze. "No sir, I have to finish this mission. It's not just about finding Seshat, or her Jaffa. There is always a chance that Seshat may change her plans, and I am in a position to discover what changes those might be. We still don't have a lot of details either. I can get a lot closer to Curtis and his followers than Teal'c or Daniel without raising suspicion. So far, those kids are the only link we have to Seshat. I have to be there, sir."

The General studied her quietly for a moment and then nodded, seeming to have expected her response. He smiled, reaching across the table and giving her folded hands a gentle squeeze. "Thank you Major. I want you to know I have the utmost confidence in your abilities."

"Thank you sir," Sam answered, flushing slightly at the unexpected praise.

"Good then," Hammond said, rising. Sam stood with him. "Dismissed, Major."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," Sam said, collecting her things.

"Oh, and Major?" Hammond asked. Sam turned, "Sir?"

"Good luck."


	32. The Homecoming Queen

_A/N: I am very happy to learn that more than a few of my old readers are still around somewhere, not only excited for an update, but telling me that you reread the entire thing, which I know from experience takes the better part of a day. Its quite a treat to learn that my readers not only enjoy the story the first time around, but will read it over again. I've not heard yet from any new readers, but would love to hear from you too. At any rate, new reader or returning one, here is the latest chapter. Let me know what you think, and perhaps you will provide enough incentive to get that next chapter out a little faster than this update. _

_Chapter 32: The Homecoming Queen_

The rest of the week passed in a blur of preparations, both at school, for the upcoming Homecoming festivities, and at the SGC, for its plan to crash the festivities. Jack spent much of his time devising insane drills and scenarios, sometimes seeking her input on the layout of the school, and the best place to insert the teams. He and Teal'c ran the maneuvers late into the night.

So late into the night in fact, that several times, Sam found herself the next morning in her bed at the safe house she and the Colonel were staying at. She couldn't remember leaving base, and usually would have only a vague recollection of working on something in her lab or elsewhere on base. It had happened before, and Sam was becoming accustomed to the disorientation of waking up always in her bed no matter where she last remembered being. But when she grumbled about it, Jack told her straight faced that she must be teleporting.

She had little time to be embarrassed though, if she wasn't in school, she was at the SGC, working with the science teams on the communication problems, or with any one of her teammates on SG-1, ironing out all the little details of the sting operation. Her smaller body would simply shut down when she grew too tired, and she had little say in the matter. Of course, Jack did manage to scare everyone else in the SGC into keeping anything with any sugar or caffeine content away from her.

She and Teal'c poured over the various blueprints that had alerted them to the large unaccounted area under the school, trying to narrow down the entry, and Teal'c spent the days trying to find out how to gain entrance into the space. Sam spent one evening assisting her Jaffa teammate in an unmarked van packed with surveillance equipment, parked out of sight around the block from the school. The two poured over video tape from the school feeds, and Sam used several sophisticated devices to try and penetrate the EM field clouding the school grounds. She tried to narrow down the location of both the source of the disruption, and the likely entrances for the mysterious underground cavern they suspected existed. Siler helped her add a clever compartment in her backpack so she could hide a few useful items, in case she needed to help break into the area.

Daniel carefully cultivated the friends he'd developed among the staff, trying to find out who Seshat might be. He discovered some interesting things about a wealthy benefactor to the school. A benefactor that despite not having a place on the board, somehow exercised a lot of say in how the school was run via frequent large contributions and clever lawyers, who made sure the money was used as stipulated. Daniel could not find much information about this individual, but he had Sam help do a little computerized digging, and they managed to find a money trail. A trail that could painstakingly (and perhaps using some not quite legal hacking methods) be traced back to a fortune in solid gold bar. The trail of money also led them to a construction firm that, with a further little digging, they determined had built many of the current structures standing on the school grounds; from the building in which Sam attended class, to the upper school building, gymnasium, and library.

In school, Sam spent the week driving her teachers insane. Well, it wasn't her fault, and it hadn't been her intention, but it had all started the first day after the planning session. Sam was walking the attendance records to the main office in the morning when she turned a corner and all but ran into Curtis's cronies, all her careful stalking for naught in the face of sheer chance. She had no choice but to try and distract the group by throwing the papers she was carrying at the bullies and run for it. Unfortunately for her, she'd turned a corner and ran smack dab into the principal, knocking him flat and landing on top. His loud protests warned her chasers, and Sam was the only one to get into trouble. The principal marched her back to her classroom, finding the scattered records on the way. Needless to say, that was the end of her errand days. Without a legitimate reason to leave the classroom, and every reason to keep out of the hands of her increasingly persistent and very much frustrated tormenters, it was the beginning of mayhem.

Everywhere she went, it would seem, Curtis or one of his followers would be lurking around the corner, hoping to lure her away or to torment her when the teachers weren't watching. Her continued ability to elude whatever the boy had in store for her only seemed to drive him towards more daring attempts. With little hope of regaining any sort of freedom before the mission, Sam took the only option left. She chose the safety offered by the protective and watchful eye of a distrusting adult. Ironically though, to gain that eye, she had to act out and call attention to herself. And suddenly, Sam found life in kindergarten a whole lot more exciting.

She cursed, loudly and fluently, as only a member of the US military could. She knocked things over. She refused to sit in her seat when it was time to sit down, or to get up when it was time to get up. She disrupted the line so much anytime they went anywhere that Ms. Hans and Mrs. Guilford took to holding her by the hand themselves. She got caught putting milk in the glue bottle, and sprinkling sand on the teacher's desk. During singing time, she stomped her feet and shouted, plugging her fingers in her ears for good measure. She began to spend more time sitting in time out during those few days than she did in her assigned seat. Her teachers put their heads together in frequent consultation, trying all sorts of behavior modification tricks, but Sam knew them all. Everything was going as she planned. That is, until she drew a picture that really caught everybody's attention. After she stood up in front of the class, and explained what she had drawn, dead silence greeted her.

After several minutes Mrs. Guilford coughed, and then hastily scrawled something on a slip of paper. "Ah yes, thank you for sharing Sam, please give this note to your parent tonight, and take a seat."

Well, maybe she'd gone a tad too far.

That night Jack could only look at the note, and shake his head, before penning a quick response. She'd finally told all the guys what she was up to, after Daniel had caught her spending most of his class in the time out chair.

"Really Sam, you keep this up and they'll kick you out," Jack said. Sam shrugged and looked over his shoulder. Graduating kindergarten once was enough in her mind.

"A meeting?" she asked.

"Yeah, Friday, right after school lets out. Guess we'll be there early for the festival, huh?"

* * *

"Frankly, Mr. Lewis, I really don't know what else to do with your daughter. She's become rather unmanageable the past few days. Are you sure there's nothing going on at home?" Mrs. Guilford asked, and then frowned. "Mr. Lewis," she said sharply, reaching out and removing the apple shaped paperweight that Jack was playing with from his hands.

Jack looked startled. "Uh. Sorry. What was the question?"

The woman's eyebrows rose. When she replied, her voice was slightly strained. "I asked if there was anything going on at home."

"No, not at all. Everything is just peachy," he said quickly, shaking his head. Impatiently, he shifted in his seat, fingers beginning to drum on one thigh and his eyes drifted toward the large wall clock hanging above the chalkboard. His mind was on the upcoming mission and not at all on the meeting, but unfortunately, Mrs. Guilford had no idea what was going down that night. All she saw was a disinterested parent.

Mrs. Guilford's jaw clenched. From the depths of some inner reserve, she summoned patience. "The reason I ask is not just Samantha's recent behavior. I'm also concerned about this." She pulled a child's drawing out of her desk, and passed it to Jack. He took the piece of paper, and studied it with a frown, then rotated it, the frown deepening.

"I guess it's not a dog, is it?" he asked, finally giving up.

"Samantha, come here please," Mrs. Guilford called. Sam gave a loud sigh from the corner where she was constructing something from Lego bricks, and joined them. "Samantha, please tell your father about your drawing."

Sam gave her teacher a narrow look, and then looked down at the drawing. She reached out a hand and turned the picture the right way. "It's the apocalypse," she explained, as if it were obvious. Then she lowered her voice dramatically, "Everybody dies."

Mrs. Guilford gave Jack a significant look. Jack coughed weakly. "The things kids say," he said.

"Mr. Lewis, I find this drawing concerning," she said.

Jack laughed. "Oh c'mon, surely you don't expect me to buy into all that psychological bull crap?"

"Mr. Lewis!" Mrs. Guilford protested.

"Crap isn't a bad word," spoke up Sam, pretending innocence as she pushed a pen around on the desk. "It's just the stuff that comes out of your ass."

"Uh, I think we'd better be going," Jack said hastily, suddenly seeming to realize that Carter might just be off her rocker, and his preoccupation was only making things worse. "It was nice meeting you."

Before the teacher could protest, Jack grabbed Sam's backpack, hustling her into it before grabbing her by the hand and all but dragging her from the room, leaving Mrs. Guilford behind, her mouth opening and closing with no sound emerging.

Once they were far enough away, Jack spun Sam, catching her up under the arms. Lifting her, he pressed her against the wall so they were both at eye level. "Carter," he growled quietly, "Do you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?"

She blinked at him, a slight flush creeping up her neck, and gave a helpless shrug. "Sorry sir, I guess I got a little carried away." She bit her lip. "Did you see her face though?"

For a moment, Jack stared at his tiny second, and amusement won out. "Somehow, I never pegged you as your teacher's worst nightmare," he said, lips quirking with a suppressed smile as he set her back down. "Should have realized though, with your talent for lock picking, the motorcycle, and affinity for explosives," he added.

"Well, look at it this way, Sir," she said, leading the way to the front entrance, "After tonight, they'll never have to see me again."

"That's probably good, since you and I may have burned your bridges in Mrs. Guilford's class at least," Jack replied, pushing open the door and heading out.

On the school grounds, the festivities were already beginning, and the recently released students were meeting up with siblings and parents, and making beelines for the games and rides. They exchanged a wordless glance and silently agreed to wander about. Noting the crowds, Jack unconsciously reached down and grabbed Sam's hand to keep her close. Sam gave him an odd look, but didn't protest.

They were half way through their first circuit when Jack noticed Sam stiffen slightly. He looked down, but she shook her head, and pulled him to a nearby game stand that happened to feature a table full of empty fish bowls. He paid for two ping pong balls, and knelt to hand Sam hers, leaning in so she could whisper in his ear. "Those two men we passed, in the suits, they're Jaffa, I'm sure." She frowned slightly, "The two men with them though, they are human." Jack nodded looking grim, and stood to toss his ball. The shot bounced wildly off the rim of one of the glass bowls. Possible vectors appeared as she watched the Colonel's ball ricochet, and without thinking, Sam neatly lofted her own ball, the small sphere landing precisely in a bowl at the center of the table.

"A winner!" cheered the game attendant, as he presented her with a plastic bag half full of water and containing one small goldfish.

"Uh, thanks," Sam flushed, awkwardly taking the bag, having forgotten about the prize when she made her throw. Jack just bounced on his toes, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he fought back a grin and some snarky comment. Her blush deepened, and she grabbed Jack's hand again, pulling him back into the crowds. They passed two men from SG-11, and stopped as if to make small talk, passing along the ID. They merged back onto the crowded midway, and Sam identified several more Jaffa, often appearing with large, brutish, completely human men. Most of the Jaffa and human security were scattered in the crowd as guests, but a few were dressed as security or as booth attendants. Sam found perhaps a dozen Jaffa, and she and the Colonel located at least twice as many more individuals with that certain air exhibited by men trained in the art of deadly force.

Daniel joined them, just as a rather strange entourage passed by, sticking out from the fairgoers. Nearly a dozen grim, heavily muscled men, obviously some sort of security. Sam confirmed the presence of at least two Jaffa, the rest of the guards seemed human but no less intimidating. They formed a pathway through the crowds for the woman at the center of the wedge. The woman stood out even more than the men, draped as she was in gold and jewels and dressed in rich clothes, including a rich leopard fur stole draped about her shoulders, and skin tight leathers emphasizing the host's flawless, athletic body. Jack barely needed Sam's quick nod of confirmation that this was the Goa'uld they sought. The woman practically oozed snakiness. They followed the group discreetly to a tent, where the entire entourage disappeared inside. Jack left Daniel to watch the tent.

On the way to let the other SGC teams know what they had found, They ran into Teal'c, emptying trash cans as he scanned the crowds, and quietly told him what Sam had discovered. Teal'c told them that he believed he had found the concealed entrance to the hidden chamber, but was unable to access it due to clever encryption.

"Sir, I think maybe I should take a look at the control panel, maybe I can get in," Sam said.

"Good idea. Teal'c, I need to let the rest of the SGC know about our snaky friend, you and Carter try to gain access to the chamber and if possible, disable the ship if you find one, and whatever is causing that EM disruption." Jack ordered. Then he reached into his pocket and handed her the Bluetooth mic he'd gotten for her. Sam slipped it into her pocket as Jack continued, "I'll try and send backup. Whatever happens, we can't let Seshat escape Earth."

"Yes sir," Sam answered, frowning as she realized she still carried the goldfish. With a shrug, she passed it to Jack before hefting the straps of her backpack to reassure herself of the weight of the equipment she carried.

"O'Neill," Teal'c nodded, and slipped back into the crowds after removing a tool box from the janitorial cart he'd been pushing. Sam followed, keeping an eye out for Seshat's security forces, though no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. Teal'c led them around to a quiet side entrance, and quickly pulled a key ring from his belt. He let them inside and led the way downstairs to the basement level.

The halls were deserted, everyone having left early to go to the festival, and it felt especially deserted downstairs with the minimal security lighting, their soft footsteps echoing quietly in the eerie dimly lit hallways. Teal'c proceeded with caution nonetheless, stopping to pull two zats out of the toolbox and handing her one.

They arrived at a supply closet and Teal'c motioned her quickly inside, pulling the door shut behind them, before turning on the closet's single light. "Here?" Sam asked curiously. To her, they had reached a dead end.

In response, Teal'c crossed to the back wall. He pointed to the floor, which on closer examination, showed scuff marks and several footprints. "I discovered signs that there has been regular traffic through a hidden entrance." He then pushed aside a shelf along the back wall, exposing the cheap wall paneling, bearing scratches and signs of much handling. Teal'c set the toolbox down and removed from it a short crow bar, which he used to attack the weak looking area in the paneling. After a brief struggle, a Goa'uld control panel was exposed, looking rather incongruous situated inside the supply closet.

"The usual sequence did not open the door," he explained.

Spying a step stool, Sam dragged it over to where she could see the control panel. Wasting little time, she looked to her companion, "Teal'c can you get this access panel off for me?" She asked as she upended her school supplies on the floor, accessing the hidden compartment at the bottom of her bag, and pulling out several cables and devices. Teal'c popped the panel off and Sam climbed up on the step stool to get to work.

"Wow," she said, "I didn't think the Goa'uld used this level of encryption," her eyes intent on the screen of her tablet, which to Teal'c looked like nothing more than pages of nonsensical numbers and letters. "It's like the best of human security meets Goa'uld tech," she explained to his confused look.

"Can you gain entry Major Carter?" Teal'c asked, and Sam realized that the entire team had very quickly reverted to SG-1 designations during the mission.

"Well, it's quite the code," Sam replied, and then flexed her fingers, an impish grin spreading across her features, "but I can crack it."

Teal'c nodded but Sam was already focused on the task at hand. Leaving her to it, Teal'c returned to the entrance and edged the door carefully open, zat at the ready, peering out into the hallway to keep watch.

"Hah, I'm in," he heard her say after several minutes. There was a pause, and then "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh? What Uh-oh?" asked Teal'c looking away from the deserted hallway long enough to check on his teammate.

"Well, if I'm right, I've accidentally triggered an alert that gives us only a few minutes before it alerts someone that we're trying to get in," Sam said.

"And if you are wrong?" asked Teal'c.

"Then they already know." Sam frowned and entered a command. The door in front of them hissed open, revealing a vast chamber.

Teal'c shut the closet door, moving a shelf in front of it to block any unwanted guests. "Then I suggest we proceed quickly with disabling any ship we find and remove ourselves from this place."

"Agreed," Sam said, hopping down from the step stool and quickly retrieving her tools. She hid the school supplies on the shelf, knowing she might need quick access to her devices. She retrieved her zat and followed Teal'c into the chamber, tossing her bag over one shoulder.

"Holy smokes," she said, as soon as she had a good look.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, already breaking left for a circuit of the large room. Sam went right, to meet him on the other side of the ship, a ship that appeared to be some sort of modified Alkesh. SG-1 of course had seen a lot of varieties of Alkesh, from bombers to transport ships but this one put them all to shame. It was definitely well armed and armored, and appeared somewhat larger than the usual Alkesh.

The chamber also held a number of boxes. Sam popped the lid off one and found shock grenades. Nearby were stacked staff weapons. Another crate held zats. It looked like someone was planning a hostile takeover. What she didn't see was how they had gotten the ship in there. There were no visible doors or openings large enough for the ship, in fact the only door was the one they had entered. It made Sam wonder how they planned to get the ship out again. She quickly helped herself to a couple of the grenades, figuring they might come in useful, stashing them in her backpack.

She met up with Teal'c on the far side of the chamber and together they approached the ship. The ship seemed to hum, and on a hunch, Sam pulled out a quarter and threw it at the ship, barely prepared for the metallic zing as shields flared to life, sending the quarter flying back to them with force. Teal'c's quick action saved them as he flattened them both to the ground, the quarter flying harmlessly over their heads to embed itself in the wall. "I would not do that again, Major Carter," Teal'c cautioned, as he helped her up.

"Um, no. Sorry about that Teal'c. At least we know the ship is shielded though," she said, dusting the front of her pants before approaching the hatch.

Teal'c slowly and cautiously reached toward the door panel on a hunch that the shields were keyed to energy and high speed projectiles. When the shields didn't flare, he attempted to key in a standard door open command, but the door lock beeped and refused to open.

"Give me a boost," Sam requested, dropping her bag, and pulling out her cables and tablet again. Teal'c complied, and she quickly tried to back door the lock. "Yikes," she said, "This thing is even more locked down than the door, this could take a while. And that jammer is definitely coming from the ship, maybe from the shields. We better bring over one of those crates so you can guard the door while I work," Sam suggested. Teal'c nodded and was just setting her back down when they heard a series of thuds and angry shouts from the hall outside the storage closet.

Reacting faster than she, Teal'c pushed her down behind some nearby boxes. Debris erupted into the cavern as the impromptu blockade Teal'c had made was destroyed. A staff blast fired over their heads, striking the ship. There was a buzzing sound and flash of light, and then the staff blast ricocheted off the shields, and flew back into the wall above the door, showering the attackers with even more debris.

"In the name of Seshat," called an angry voice from the doorway, "I command you to show yourselves, traitors."

Teal'c replied by popping up long enough to fire off a few rounds with the zat. Shouts and a thud indicated he had hit at least one target. Teal'c signaled that there were at least three attackers and that he planned to use the boxes to circle around and flank the other Jaffa. Sam nodded, signaling she would provide cover. Holding three fingers, she carefully counted down. On three, she yelled, firing towards the door with her zat as Teal's broke for the nearest cover also firing. Their attackers continued to fire cautiously, seeming to not want to risk hitting the space ship and cause another uncontrolled ricochet, and Sam decided to use that caution to her advantage, hoping to get to her back pack that had been dropped just out of reach.

Teal'c had reached a stack closer to the entrance, and Sam signaled her intention. Teal'c nodded and broke cover again, firing at the aggressors. Sam used the opportunity to make a grab for the bag. The Jaffa fired too far over her head, she being a much smaller target than they had realized, and Sam dove back behind cover unharmed. She quickly dug out one of the grenades and armed the device. She waited for the next lull, and with perfect aim she threw it through the open door where their attackers hid behind the wall. Sam and Teal'c ducked behind the crates as the grenade went off with a screech and bright flash of night. Even prepared as they were, it was a little disorienting still, and Sam was still blinking from the flash when Teal'c grabbed her arm. "Our attackers have been neutralized for now," Teal'c said, "but I believe more will quickly be upon us, we must vacate this area,"

Sam nodded, grabbing her bag and slipping her arms more securely into the straps. They would be unable to disable the ship, at least without backup. That thought made her realize the backup Jack had promised should have been dispatched by now. They should have been drawn to the sounds of the firefight, but were nowhere to be seen, and that could only mean that either they had either been held up, or disabled. They had to hope the other teams would be more successful, even without the EM cloud disabled, and that Seshat would be prevented from escaping.

The supply closet was cluttered with debris from the firefight and the three motionless bodies of their attackers. Now that she was close, Sam realized that only one was Jaffa, the other two were human. The security they had located on the grounds did not seem to be carrying visible weapons. The size of the stockpile they had just found here made her think that if the guards didn't already carry something concealed, they probably had quick access to weapons in hidden caches like this one. There was any number of potential hiding places in a complex as big as this school. If the human security forces Seshat employed were armed with Goa'uld weaponry and completely devoted to their employer as these seemed to be, there might be a problem. They had anticipated only fighting a handful of Jaffa, and had not counted on fighting a large, well-armed, well trained human security force.

She shared her thoughts with Teal'c, who wasted little time in hitting each stunned guard with a zat blast, to keep them unconscious. "We should get this information to O'Neill as soon as possible," he said, and Sam nodded. They would have to do it the hard way since they'd failed to gain entrance to the ship and jammer. Already, they could hear faint shouts in the distance.

They headed out into the hallway, but quickly stopped when they heard running footsteps coming their way. Teal'c pulled her back towards an intersecting corridor, but Sam quickly stopped him when she heard footsteps in the other direction.

There was nowhere for them to go.

Two men in security uniforms appeared from the first direction and three more came from behind them. The men shouted when they saw Sam and Teal'c. Teal'c pressed Sam back behind him into a nearby doorframe and the scant protection it presented. The door was locked, offering them no escape. "I will provide a distraction, Major Carter," he said, speaking over his shoulder as he kept a close eye on the advancing warriors, "you must inform O'Neill of what has transpired here."

Sam wanted to argue, she wanted to stay and fight, but she knew that Teal'c was right. She'd be better off getting away with the information. With luck, she could return with assistance, and they could still capture or disable the Alkesh. Failing that, she hoped that the information she knew would be enough for them to still have a chance at securing Seshat before she could escape. There were still the SGC teams at the perimeters, kept off the school grounds as back up to avoid raising suspicions, but with the failure of their mission to lower the EM cloud, someone would have to go to the them in person. "Okay," she said, "Be careful."

Teal'c inclined his head, and still remaining in front of her, reached down to set his zat on the floor. Slowly, he raised his hands, advancing to the middle of the corridor, allowing the approaching guards to approach to think he was surrendering. Then he spoke quietly, his body tense and ready to spring. "Now Major Carter, run!" With that he attacked the closest Jaffa with a roar, barreling two of them down before they even had a chance to get their weapons up. The others couldn't fire or risk hitting their comrades. With the distraction the tangle of fighting bodies gave, Sam made a break for it, dodging around the fighters, and making for the nearest stairwell.

She'd reached the stairs and was beginning to think she'd left her pursuers behind when she heard shouts and running footsteps behind her down the hall. There were Jaffa on her six, and more than one if the shouting was any indication! Sam had little time to worry if these were different guards or if something had happened to Teal'c. She charged up the stairs, running full out, the dim half lighting giving way to full darkness. Too late, she realized that someone had purposely taken out the remaining lights in the stairwell, and didn't see what she tripped over until she was sprawled across it.

She felt about cautiously, realizing what she laid on top of felt very much like… a body?

The dim light coming in from the windows enabled her to see staring eyes and features she recognized. "Shit," she said, realizing at once that the head was twisted much too far to be natural. Poor Abrams, he must have been the backup that the Colonel had sent.

Shouts below brought her back to herself. Saying a brief prayer for Abrams, Sam scrambled up and ran to door, cursing under her breath when she discovered the door had been chained and padlocked closed sometime after she and Teal'c had entered, probably by the same group that had gotten Abrams. She could hear the Jaffa behind her arriving at the stairwell below, and Sam quickly changed plans, charging up the stairs to the next floor. She jerked open the door, being sure it echoed in the stairwell, but didn't go through. Instead, she quickly pulled out the other shock grenade she'd taken from the chamber, and armed it, leaving it just behind the wall out of sight. She let the door swing closed and crept quietly to the top floor, hoping to buy some time and confuse her pursuers. She was heading for a specific goal, the Chemistry lab.

She darted along the deserted and darkened hallway, hoping her pursuers would think she'd exited the level below. With any luck they would waste some time looking for her downstairs, and with any real luck, the shock grenade would eliminate all or most of her hunters. The Chemistry lab was the last room on the end. The locked door didn't present much trouble, and once she was in she quickly relocked the door and barricaded it with a chair, afraid to do much more and make too much noise.

Sam tucked her zat into the waistband of her pants, and headed for the storage closet. Again, the lock presented no trouble. The lab was fairly well stocked, and everything she didn't find in the lab closet she found in the attached utility room, which contained a variety of cleaning supplies. There were plenty of papers in the desks. She quickly found what she needed, loading the items into her bag, and locked herself into the utility room. If the Jaffa found her, she'd have to make a quick escape, and knew just how to manage that, though it probably wouldn't be pleasant. Unfortunately, they'd left her little choice, by barricading the exits.

Sam set her little trap and was just picking the lock over the garbage chute when she heard her pursuers reach her level and began crashing into the various doors, searching the empty rooms. Desperately, she forced the lock and the metal door opened with a rusty screech. Sam cursed, fumbling for the lighter, just as the utility room door thundered open.

"Halt, in the name of Seshat," the lead guard, a Jaffa, commanded, leveling a zat at her. Another guard stood behind, and Sam recognized both from the corridor below, they must have left Teal'c to their three companions.

"Um, no," Sam answered, finally getting the lighter to produce flame. The two men looked puzzled. "Surprise," she said, and lit the rag sticking out of the beaker full of chemicals. Before either man could react, she tossed her variation on a Molotov cocktail onto the pile of papers and other flammable items that Sam had taken time to douse with more chemicals. The two Jaffa cried out in surprise as the surface they stood on literally burst into instant bright flame. Using the moment Sam jumped in the open chute, but the Jaffa were made of sterner stuff, and one of them managed a shot from a zat. Her momentum caused him to miss, but the discharge hit the metal walls of the chute, causing the blue energy to diffuse over the surface and into whatever parts of her body were in contact with the metal. Sam yelped in pain as she fell helplessly down the chute, landing rather abruptly and with a rather pungent release of odor into the dumpster at the back of the school. She quickly took stock of her injuries. Nothing broken, but everything was sort of numb and tingling from the zat. Well, at least she wasn't unconscious.

Trying to shake feeling back into her nearly unresponsive limbs, Sam realized she'd lost her weapon, which she had tucked into her waist band while raiding the lab upstairs. Feeling around in the darkness with her numbed fingers proved futile, and she reluctantly gave the zat up as a lost cause. She decided to leave her backpack as well. Somehow, she forced her uncooperative limbs into motion and managed to clamor over to side. Using the bags and other refuse as a sort of stepping stone, she slowly gained the top of the dumpster. She pulled herself up with some difficulty. Looking down to gauge the drop, she found herself staring directly into the business end of an armed zat.


	33. When it all Goes to Hell

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, and letting me know that you are still waiting for the story to end, or that you've just found it. Got a few responses yesterday which may have just given me the incentive to work on this next chapter on my one day off, and get it posted. (Hint hint) So drop me a line, and let me know that you are still hanging in there, and what you think of the latest updates. Speaking of the latest updates, I realized after posting the last update, that the chapter sizes are very much unequal. The last chapter was unusually large, while this one is very short. Hopefully, the action sequences will make up for it __ If not, this is where I can plug my other stories, especially if you've not read them. If you asked me the most popular of my stories, I would have to say that in terms of reviews and visits, that honor belongs to Growing Pains which is the sort of prequel to this story. If unaware kidfic does not appeal to you, Nine Lives takes a close second (pet lovers love this one). After Elementary in third place, people seem to enjoy It's a Great Big World (downsized SG-1 of a different sort), A Personal Favor, and Just Another Kiss (sequel to Just a Kiss). I make no apologies for writing primarily Sam focused, team/gen action/adventure, with a bit of UST and other stuff thrown in._

_Chapter 33: When it all Goes to Hell_

It didn't take Sam long to review her options, perched precariously on the edge of the dumpster. She'd already taken a partial zat blast, diffused though it was, and she wasn't willing to take the chance that she would not be killed if she took a second hit. Sam slowly raised her hands, and as she did, she took note of her surroundings for the first time.

Everything was in chaos.

People ran screaming in all directions, and Seshat's security forces were firing zats indiscriminately at SGC personnel and civilians alike. Most of the civilians did not seem to realize that the blue energy only left its victims unconscious, not dead. She risked a glance above, and could see a reddish glow flickering in the above windows. The fire she'd started was already spreading, but with the generalized panic, no one had noticed, even after she heard the bells inside begin to signal the alarm. Sam could only think that something must have alerted Seshat or her forces to the SGC presence, and the SGC had been grossly unprepared for how well armed the Goa'uld's forces were.

"Climb down," the guard with the zat ordered, recalling her to her current precarious situation. Sam started to comply, but the guard looked over his shoulder, dismissing her as no threat.

It was his mistake.

Sam lunged for the distracted man, knocking the weapon flying from the surprised guard's grip as the two hit the ground rolling. Fully exploiting the element of surprise from her attack, Sam squirmed out of the stunned man's grip and was hurriedly scrambling up when something latched onto her ankle, knocking her off her feet. Sam twisted to face the guard who was now dragging her backwards, and lashed out, landing a solid kick to the man's face. She heard a crunch and the man howled, curling up with his hands over his face, his nose broken.

Using the man's preoccupation, Sam jumped to her feet, only to come face to face with another armed guard, and a familiar tingle told her that this one was a Jaffa, while the man on the ground human. Sam took a cautious step back from the advancing Jaffa, who after glancing at the groaning man on the ground, casually zatted him unconscious. He then gave her an appraising look before tucking his zat into his belt and taking another step towards her. Sam realized she had to escape quickly, she was growing tired, her limbs still heavy and weak from the earlier zat discharge. The Jaffa seemed to sense her weakness, and smiled, following her as she took another step back. Summoning a reserve of strength, Sam feinted to the left and then dodged right, surprised by the ease she eluded the mighty warrior, her practice with Teal'c on the mat paying off. Glancing over her shoulder she was just in time to see his smile widen, and didn't see the second Jaffa step around the corner of the dumpster.

Unable to stop or change direction, Sam plowed right into the man's arms. Immediately, she fought, kicking and twisting, but the large man simply spun her, pinning her roughly against the wall, her cheek scraping against the brick. She bucked, earning more scrapes and bruises before she heard a voice behind her say "Enough," and something hard slammed into side of her head. And that was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

Jack O'Neill was royally pissed. All their careful planning had just gone to hell in a hand basket. It was as if someone had tipped the snake off that they were on to her. One minute, they'd had careful plans to slip in after the speeches, take out the snakehead's guards, and grab the Goa'uld before anyone had a chance to say boo. He and Carter had already identified all the guards, and none of them had seemed to be carrying any weapons. And then the snake had stood up and started spouting the usual worship your god nonsense, and her security began firing zats they had somehow gotten into the crowd. Panic had ensued, and the snake had slipped away in the mass of confusion, much of her security forces remaining behind to cause chaos. The SGC had been forced to break cover and retaliate, trying in vain to contain the situation before too many people got hurt.

Quickly, the Colonel ducked around the bins he was sheltering behind to let off a few zat blasts to vent his fury. "Daniel, we need to get these people out of here," he barked. "Grab SG-7 and get as many people out as you can," he ordered, letting off a few more shots for good measure at the Jaffa on the other side of the aisle. Daniel nodded, and the next time Jack fired, Daniel broke cover and ran to where SG-7 was holding down a section of the midway from a hastily abandoned booth. Jack saw him waving his hands at Colonel Jameson, and the other man nod and began to issue orders to his team. Now, if Jack just had the rest of SG-1…

"O'Neill," Speak of the devil. Jack looked up as Teal'c hunched down behind an overturned table nearby.

"Teal'c, buddy, where's Carter?" Jack asked immediately noting the lack of one currently undersized astrophysicist.

"Major Carter and I became separated when we were attacked by superior numbers. I created a diversion so that Major Carter could escape, but have not been able to locate her since we separated. However, I do believe she was able to escape from her pursuers," Teal'c added.

"Oh?" Jack said, firing off a few more shots, as he noticed SG-7 begin to take defensive positions to protect any remaining civilians in the area and funnel them towards a safer location. Teal'c followed his lead, rising to fire a few shots of his own. "What makes you say that?" Jack asked the man, his brow creased as he began to imagine what might have happened to his small Major in this madness. He hoped she'd have to good sense to lay low, and stay out of sight.

"The school is on fire," Teal'c replied calmly, firing a few more times.

"Maybe someone left the coffee machine on," Jack said, ducking as a staff blast came a little too close to home. That they were starting to fire staffs wasn't good in his opinion. They were either desperate, or something big was about to go down. Teal'c fired back at the unknown shooter and there was a cry on the other side, Teal'c had hit his mark.

"The fire is in the chemistry lab," Teal'c stated. And Jack knew. This was Carter after all. If she were in trouble, she'd do something spectacular. Carter blew stuff up, and had fun doing it. It was entirely like her that she'd burn the school down to escape from a couple of Jaffa.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the grounds, and everyone was knocked down.

"Oh for cryin' out loud, what the hell was that?" Jack yelled, struggling back to his feet, and looking toward the source of the blast.

A massive rumbling was still shaking the earth, and Jack found it hard to keep his feet as an Alkesh burst from the burning debris of the upper school building and rocketed upward, blasting out of the atmosphere, carrying who knows who with it. Very likely Seshat was on board, so intent on escaping that she'd left behind the better part of her security forces, including an unknown number of Jaffa. Jack however had no doubt that she had taken with her at least several hostages. Who, and how many was yet to be determined, but with a sinking heart, as the battle resumed over the destroyed festival ground, Jack became worried over the absence one particular person. He saw the same concern reflected in Teal'c's eyes.


End file.
